COLUMBUS, Ohio — This upcoming November, Ohioans could vote to increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour for tipped workers.

According to the Ohio Restaurant & Hospitality Alliance, a vast majority of the tipped workers it surveyed believe they would make less with a higher minimum wage.

The results of a privately conducted survey were released Tuesday morning explaining how 1,000 people surveyed believe the current tipped system works well. However, some groups are questioning the survey. 

What You Need To Know

• Tuesday morning, The Ohio Restaurant & Hospitality Alliance released a survey regarding changing the state's minimum wage for tipped workers

• The survey was conducted through a private third-party, Dr. Lloyd Corder of Carnegie Mellon University, who took responses from 1,000 people across Ohio 

• The private results found 93% of Ohio servers and bartenders want to keep the current tipping system, but, not everyone agrees with the results of the survey 

“I make good money in tips,” said Alex Cohen, a bartender. “I am not particularly keen on anything affecting that.” 

Cohen works as a bartender in New Albany and has a dream of opening his very own restaurant. He said he worked very hard to get to the point he is at right now. He is against the ballot initiative “Raise The Wage Ohio.” The proposed ballot amendment aims to boost Ohio’s minimum wage to $15 per hour for all workers. Cohen currently makes $5.50 an hour as a base rate and gets the rest of his money from tips. He is worried his tips would decrease if the minimum wage increases. 

“I don’t necessarily want a situation where the restaurant just puts an automatic 20, 25% service charge on the check,” Cohen said. “And then give them the authority to do what they want with that money. Because right now, as a tip employee, by law, my tips have to go to me.” 

The Ohio Restaurant and Hospitality Alliance released the results of a survey of nearly 1,000 tipped workers. The survey found 93% would prefer to keep the current tipping system. The same survey also found 91% agree the current tipping system works well for them, and in their opinion should not be changed. 

“This proposal would force servers and bartenders to live on an hourly wage,” said John Barker, the President of the Ohio Restaurant & Hospitality Alliance. “Which we know would lower their income, and it would nearly triple labor costs for restaurants and bars and other businesses that employ tipped workers. This would result in more inflation in menu prices, as restaurants and bars would have to significantly increase their labor costs.” 

Ohio’s current law includes a tip credit that allows owners to pay a portion of the tipped employee’s hourly minimum wage with the rest of the income coming from tips. But Mariah Ross, who is representing ‘One Fair Wage,’ believes the survey could have confused participants. She said people need to be asked questions clearly and thoroughly.

“Would you rather make $5.25 plus tips or $15 with tips on top?” Ross said. “It’s not that workers don’t want to make a living minimum wage, it’s just that they don’t get asked the question correctly.” 

Cleveland native Kenneth Humphrey did not participate in the survey. He is a tipped worker who is in favor of raising Ohio’s minimum wage. He said having more money will benefit people’s lives. He also said it could also contribute to a better economy with people spending more money. He worked at IHOP and said it was very difficult to manage on the money he made. 

“I’m going to give you better service if I’m consistently being paid and being taken care of,” Humphrey said. “It doesn’t matter whether you leave a tip or not, because I know I can take care of my family. So I’m going to get the best service ever because I know I don’t have to depend on your tip to take care of me.” 

Another tipped worker in Dayton working at Waffle House said a little extra cash would help her living situation. She said the way servers are treated has not been easy. She said tips are not certain, and it depends on the day and the crowd. 

“I am barely making ends meet, and I mean that wholeheartedly,” said Courtney Gibson. “$15 per hour, plus tips could actually pay bills.” 

A separate measure making its way through the Ohio Statehouse would raise the minimum wage gradually. It would also increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2028. Ohio’s current law increases the minimum based on inflation each year. The ballot initiative is still collecting signatures, and by July Ohioans will find out if it made the November ballot.