Chicago Mayor Defends Eliminating Tipped Wage, Linking It to 'Slavery'

Johnson's push to raise base pay for tipped workers faces opposition from restaurant owners.

Apr. 17, 2026 at 8:35pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is defending his push to eliminate the tipped wage in the city, doubling down on his comments linking the restaurant industry to 'slavery.' Johnson's remarks came after the City Council failed to override his veto of a measure that would have halted the city's phaseout of the subminimum wage for tipped workers, a policy set to raise base pay to the full minimum wage by 2028. Johnson claims the tipped wage disproportionately impacts Black and Brown workers in the service industry.

Why it matters

The fight over the tipped wage in Chicago highlights a broader national debate over the role of tips in worker compensation. Proponents argue the tipped wage is a legacy of slavery, while opponents warn it could drive up prices and cost jobs. Mayor Johnson's strong stance and linking it to the need for reparations adds a new dimension to the controversy.

The details

Mayor Johnson called on the City Council to 'not take wages away from Black and Brown people' who primarily work in the service industry reliant on tips. He said the industry has 'ties to slavery' and declared the city needs 'reparations.' Restaurant owners and associations have pushed back, saying the phaseout will shrink their tight profit margins. The City Council failed to override Johnson's veto of a measure to halt the wage increase for tipped workers.

  • In June 2024, Mayor Johnson launched a Reparations Task Force and allocated $500,000 to the effort.
  • On April 17, 2026, Mayor Johnson made the comments linking the tipped wage to 'slavery' after the City Council failed to override his veto.

The players

Brandon Johnson

The mayor of Chicago who is pushing to eliminate the tipped wage in the city, linking it to the legacy of slavery.

Chicago City Council

The city's legislative body that failed to override Mayor Johnson's veto of a measure to halt the phaseout of the tipped wage.

Chicago Restaurant Owners and Associations

They have pushed back against the city's phaseout of the subminimum wage for tipped workers, warning it could drive up prices and cost jobs.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“You just watched the entire city council in transparency try to take wages away from the very people who are part of an industry that has its ties to slavery is hiding from that. I am boldly declaring that we need reparations in this city, and that's why I'm funding it.”

— Brandon Johnson, Mayor of Chicago

“Today, many Black workers, particularly women, continue to rely on tips and subminimum wages to support themselves and their families. The institutionalized reliance on tipping remains a uniquely American phenomenon, and Mayor Johnson is proud to be a leader in the movement to ensure working people across the country receive the dignity and respect they deserve in the workplace, and have the ability to support themselves and their loved ones in a system that has historically denied them fair and stable wages.”

— Spokesperson, from Mayor Johnson's Office

What’s next

The Reparations Task Force and city will kick off a bus tour as part of 'Repair Chicago,' a community engagement effort to explore the 'impacts of systemic harm faced by Black Chicagoans.'

The takeaway

Mayor Johnson's strong stance on eliminating the tipped wage and linking it to the need for reparations has intensified the debate over the role of tips in worker compensation. This controversy highlights the broader national discussion around addressing the legacy of slavery and systemic inequities faced by minority workers, particularly in the service industry.