Chicago Mayor Ignites Wage War After Calling Tipping System “Slavery”
Chicago’s wage battle escalated after Mayor Brandon Johnson linked the restaurant industry to “slavery” while defending a major labor policy shift. The comment comes as the city moves forward with eliminating tipped wages.
The remark intensified an already heated fight between labor advocates and restaurant owners, who warn the policy could reshape the industry and threaten jobs.
According to reporting, Johnson made the statement after the City Council failed to override his veto blocking a measure that would have paused wage increases for tipped workers.
Chicago is now set to phase out the subminimum tipped wage and require full minimum pay by 2028, a move supporters say protects workers but critics argue will raise costs.
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“You just watched… an industry that has its ties to slavery,” Johnson said during the debate.
The policy sits at the center of a broader national divide over tipping, where some cities have already eliminated the lower wage while others maintain it to protect restaurant margins.
In Chicago, the failed council override signals the plan will continue, with business groups pushing back and labor advocates framing the issue as economic justice.
The next phase will focus on how restaurants adapt as the wage increases take effect.
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