Washington, D.C

Here’s what Initiative 82 could mean for tipping in D.C.

Published

2 years ago

October 25, 2022

Here’s what Initiative 82 could mean for tipping in D.C.

Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios

For the second time in roughly 4 years, D.C. voters will decide how tipped staff receives a commission, this time by way of the Initiative 82 poll measure.

What’s occurring: The initiative would require employers to pay minimal wage to tipped staff resembling restaurant servers, nail salon staff, and valets no matter how a lot they earn in ideas.

The rise could be gradual, with full implementation by 2027.

Presently, employers pays lower than minimal wage so long as every worker makes sufficient in tricks to meet or exceed $16.10 an hour.

For instance, Waiter A makes $5.35/hour from their employer and earns $7 in ideas over the course of an hour, so their employer has to pay a further $3.75 to make sure they meet the $16.10 minimal wage.
Waiter B makes $5.35/hour from their employer and $20 in ideas in a single hour, in order that they’d exceed the minimal wage and their employer would not must pay them any further.
Initiative 82 would require employers to pay each Waiters A and B the identical base pay of $16.10 an hour.

OK, so are ideas eradicated if I-82 passes? No. Tipping would nonetheless be your selection.

Some servers need the established order as a result of they make properly past $16.10 an hour and fear that diners will cease tipping if issues change.
There are additionally considerations that small, impartial eating places must shut as a result of added prices, and that enterprise homeowners would possibly in the reduction of on workers.

So who would possibly profit if I-82 passes? These in favor of the initiative argue it could assist to erase disparities confronted by usually marginalized back-of-house restaurant workers who often make a lot lower than their front-of-house friends. In a Washington Publish op-ed, one I-82 proponent argues that younger line cooks and different extremely expert workers usually quit on the business as a result of low pay.

There’s additionally an argument that employers do not all the time observe the principles and make up for gaps between minimal wage and hourly ideas. Passing the poll measure would hold this from being a problem.

Moreover, if I-82 passes and clients proceed to tip the identical quantity, tipped staff would earn extra.

One wrinkle that’s inflicting (extra) confusion: Diners are already uncertain of how a lot to tip amid the surge of service costs and charges that arose through the pandemic.

Generally service charges are break up between workers or used for well being advantages. And there’s no proper reply when deciding whether or not or to not add a further tip on high of those charges.
Some fear that service charges will solely change into steeper and extra widespread if I-82 passes, additional discouraging clients from tipping.

Of word: For the reason that final time Washingtonians voted on a tip-related poll measure, some eating places, together with 2Amys, have ditched the previous system and begun paying their servers minimal wage or extra. The Cathedral Heights pizzeria didn’t add a service cost however as an alternative raised costs and reduce its income, whereas staff receives a commission break day and well being advantages.

Zoom out: Different states together with California and Alaska have I-82-esque legal guidelines requiring tipped staff to be paid the usual minimal wage, however most states across the nation nonetheless depend on the old style tipping system.

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Washington, D.C

Airfare of the Day -Business Class- TURKISH AIRLINES Washington DC to Amsterdam from $2,168

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4 hours ago

June 16, 2024

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Airfare of the Day -Business Class- TURKISH AIRLINES Washington DC to Amsterdam from $2,168

Today’s Airfare of the Day goes to Turkish Airlines and their business class excursion fares valid for round trip travel departing from Washington DC (IAD), United States to Amsterdam (AMS), Netherlands with possible free stopovers in Turkey. Remember to email or message us via Facebook, Twitter or Instagram

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Washington, D.C

Wish You Were Here: In search of Washington, D.C. cherry blossoms and more

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11 hours ago

June 16, 2024

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Wish You Were Here: In search of Washington, D.C. cherry blossoms and more

Bay Area News Group readers have hopscotched around the world in recent months, sharing their adventures as they rode camels in the Sahara, explored temples in Thailand and took cooking classes in Barcelona.

Now an Oakland couple is sharing their tales from a spring trip to Washington, D.C. Read on for details, then find more travel inspiration at www.mercurynews.com/tag/wish-you-were-here/.

Wish You Were Here

WASHINGTON, D.C.: Oakland residents Sean and Caroline Sorenson visited Washington, D.C. in early April. “We saw the Capitol, White House, Supreme Court and all the monuments,” Caroline says. “Everyone was very friendly and helpful. We were a week late for the peak of the cherry blossoms, but we saw the end of it, which was very pretty!”

TRAVEL TIPS: “We stayed in Dupont Circle, which was convenient for the Metro. The Metro is very easy to take everywhere. We got a three-day pass ($28) and got more than our money’s worth. Once you’re on the Mall, you can easily walk to whatever you want to see.”

That list of things to see includes the National Archives, home of the Declaration of Independence, for example, and U.S. Constitution. Admission is free, but reserving a timed-entry ticket at https://museum.archives.gov/ ($1 service fee) will help you avoid summer’s long lines. ” It’s worth it,” Caroline says.

Join the fun! Send a photo of yourself on your latest adventures — local, domestic or international — to jburrell@bayareanewsgroup.com. Tell us where you are, who everyone is and where they’re from, and share a travel tip or two to help fellow readers go there, too.

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Washington, D.C

Rookie DJ Herz delivers historic dominance as the Nats blank Marlins

Published

19 hours ago

June 16, 2024

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Rookie DJ Herz delivers historic dominance as the Nats blank Marlins

By the sixth inning, DJ Herz had mastered his strikeout strut. He had done it 10 times entering the frame, and with each ensuing punchout, his stalk around the mound became just a bit more pronounced.

So when he struck out Vidal Bruján with a change-up for the first out of the inning, he hopped before he glided toward the third base side. And when he buckled Christian Bethancourt’s knees in the ensuing at-bat, Herz stepped quickly toward third base as his arms swayed by his side.

His last hitter in the Nationals’ 4-0 win over the Miami Marlins on Saturday afternoon at Nationals Park was Tim Anderson, who had fanned twice. Herz got up 0-2, and Anderson asked for time in a bid to disrupt Herz’s timing. Nothing else worked to that point, so maybe a few extra seconds could rattle the 23-year-old rookie.

No chance. Two pitches later, Herz threw a 93-mph fastball by Anderson for his 13th and final strikeout. And when Anderson swung through the pitch, Herz showed off more than a strut. This time, he turned his back to the home dugout, backpedaled and put his hands out before shaking his glove.

“This outing, I wanted to control my body language a little bit more, be a little better at that,” Herz said. “The first five innings, it was perfect. And then I got the last strikeout, and I kind of had a feeling that I was done. And I just let my emotions fly a little bit.”

Before his start, Herz said he had a conversation with Jake Irvin about wanting to be emotionless on the mound. “I just wanted to go out there and be a stone-cold killer.”

Mission accomplished. The only blemish in his six innings was a Jake Burger single that got past Trey Lipscomb to start the fifth inning. The Nationals (34-36) have won seven of eight and will go for a series sweep Sunday.

Manager Dave Martinez pulled Herz after the sixth. The numbers: one hit, 13 strikeouts, 84 pitches, 57 for strikes. And perhaps most important to Herz: no walks.

“He and [catcher Drew] Millas worked really good and very quick,” Martinez said. “And they did get into that rhythm, and he was feeling it.”

In a Nationals season that will be defined by the growth of the team’s young starters, Herz could be the surprise of the bunch. The team knew Josiah Gray, MacKenzie Gore and Jake Irvin would be big league contributors this season, and Mitchell Parker has been a welcome addition. But Herz, a 6-foot-2 left-hander acquired from the Cubs at the trade deadline last season in the Jeimer Candelario deal, delivered one of the best starts in the majors this season.

Per OptaStats, his 68.4 strikeout percentage (13 of the 19 hitters faced) was the second highest by an MLB rookie in the modern era with a minimum of 15 batters faced, trailing only the Cubs’ Kerry Wood in his 20-strikeout game from 1998. His strikeout total was the most by a Nationals pitcher since Max Scherzer fanned 14 in May 2021.

“Everything was working tonight, so we couldn’t really go wrong,” Millas said.

One more fact from the start that has local appeal: Herz became one of two MLB pitchers with a start of at least 13 strikeouts and no walks in one of his first three outings since 1901 — the other being Stephen Strasburg in his debut June 8, 2010. Pretty good company, especially for a guy who didn’t make it out of the fifth inning in each of his first two starts. He was on a pitch limit in his major league debut. And in the second, it took him 87 pitches to get through 4⅓ innings.

Herz couldn’t consistently throw his best pitch, his change-up, in the zone in his first two outings. But he told pitching strategist Sean Doolittle that he felt different entering this start.

This time around, Herz was efficient in the first four innings as he racked up the strikeouts. He struck out four and threw just 24 pitches in the first two innings. In the third, Herz struck out the side and followed that up with one more in the fourth. He retired the first 12 Marlins before Burger’s single.

“The game didn’t speed up. That’s probably the most calm and relaxed I was,” Herz said. “It’s all about, for me at least, getting comfortable. That might take a little time, but it’s starting to come now.”

The Nationals’ offense jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first when Lane Thomas doubled, Jesse Winker — who exited in the third inning and will get an MRI exam on his right knee — singled and Joey Meneses hit a sacrifice fly. Thomas hit his second home run in as many days in the third inning to extend the Nationals’ lead. Meneses added a two-run blast in the eighth.

Herz, meanwhile, induced 21 whiffs in 45 swings, including 13 on four-seam fastballs. The Marlins swung through fastballs right down the middle. They watched change-ups paint the corners for called strikes and shook their heads. They chased in the dirt. And as each Marlins hitter slumped back to the dugout, Herz continued to strut.

“I mean, it still doesn’t feel real,” Herz said. “I’m super blessed. That was my probably my best game I’ve ever pitched. And to do it at this level, it’s a great feeling.”

Notes: The Nationals announced they agreed to terms on a minor league contract with outfielder Harold Ramirez, who will report to Class AAA Rochester. Ramirez, 29, is a six-year major league veteran who was designated for assignment by the Tampa Bay Rays last week. He also had stints with the Miami Marlins and Cleveland Guardians. Ramirez hit .313 with 12 home runs and a .813 OPS a season ago but hasn’t produced the same pop this season; he’s hitting .268 with a .589 OPS and only four of his hits have been for extra bases. . . .

Cade Cavalli threw two innings and around 45 pitches in a live bullpen session Saturday afternoon, facing Trey Lipscomb and Nasim Nuñez. Cavalli said his arm felt good as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery.

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