Waging Change

Tipping is part of the American way of life, particularly in restaurants. But what most Americans do not know is that the majority of people serving their food do not get paid a minimum wage and are forced to rely on tips to feed themselves and their families. With a federal sub-minimum wage of $2.13 for tipped workers, many servers and restaurant workers depend on food stamps to eat. As these workers begin to speak out and organize for a living wage, the landscape is changing. Tipping Point weaves the stories of individual workers such as Nataki Rhodes of Chicago and Naomi Debebe of Detroit with the efforts of thousands of restaurant and other fast food workers across the country to demand dignity, respect and one fair wage.—Abby Ginzberg