Dear Friend,

🚨Today (Monday) at 12:00pm is the final deadline to register to testify at Wednesday’s DC Council hearing. This is the most important thing you can do to protect Initiative 82 and full wages for tipped workers. Take action now.

We are fighting back against TWO attacks on tipped workers this week!

Mayor Bowser is using her budget to try to repeal Initiative 82 and cut tipped workers’ wages by over $4 an hour. Additionally, Councilmember McDuffie has introduced emergency legislation to block the next wage increase set for July 1. These are coordinated attacks — we need to flood the Council with testimony, phone calls, and bodies in the hearing room.

See THREE ways you can you can join the fight: testify, join, call! 

📢 Testify at the DC Council hearing – Wednesday, June 4 at 12pm
DC voters passed I-82 with 74% support. The Council must respect the vote and remove any changes to I-82 from the budget. Use your voice to say: hands off I-82.

Need help with your testimony? Check out our toolkit here!

📍 Join us in the hearing room to defend I-82!

• Tuesday, June 3 at 10am: Join us and tipped workers at the Wilson Building to tell Councilmembers to vote NO on McDuffie's bill.
• Wednesday, June 4 at 12pm: Be there again to pack the hearing room and send a message to the Council that the community supports raising tipped workers' wages!

We need a strong presence to show Councilmembers that DC stands with workers, not millionaire lobbyists. RSVP to let us know you'll be there.

📞 Call key DC Councilmembers and tell them: NO PAUSE, NO REPEAL!

• Robert White: 202-724-8174
• Charles Allen: 202-724-8072
• Christina Henderson: 202-724-8105

Sample call script:
"Hi, my name is ___. I live in Ward __. I’m calling to urge Councilmember ___ to vote NO on Councilmember McDuffie’s emergency bill to pause the wage increase for tipped workers. I’m concerned because ___. Thank you."

The bottom line is: DC voters want full wages. Restaurants are recovering and growing. The Council promised to respect the outcome of I-82. Now is the time to hold them to it.

In solidarity,

Eduarda Serafim

Solidarity Organizer

DC Jobs With Justice