Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce

GREATER WESTFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: STATEMENT ON QUESTION 5 10/23/2024 -- The Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce opposes Massachusetts Ballot Question 5, which goes before voters in the Commonwealth in the November 5 election. Ballot Question 5, if passed, will increase the minimum hourly wage an employer must pay a tipped worker to the full state minimum wage implemented over five years. It will also implement a mandatory tip pool for the sharing of tips among all employees, including non-tipped workers. We join our members in the restaurant service industry in opposing the measure for the following reasons: ·      Currently, tipped workers are paid an hourly rate of $6.75, plus whatever tips they collect from patrons during their shift. If a worker’s hourly wage and tips do not add up to $15 per hour, the employer makes up the difference. All tipped workers thus are already making minimum wage or better. ·      Under Question 5, employers expect their labor costs to increase by a huge margin (35% or up to $30,000 per month, in some instances). ·      Patrons will feel this impact in several ways: o  First, their favorite servers may leave the industry to find better pay in other fields, due to fewer shifts being available and lower wages in the restaurant industry. o  Second, increased labor costs among the service staff means reduced pay for back of the house, causing cooks and support staff to leave for better pay elsewhere. Fewer cooks will mean longer wait times for meals. o  Third, higher costs to the restaurant will mean higher menu pricing for the consumer. Many establishments will not survive this change, resulting in business closures and loss of jobs. ·      Many restaurants are already struggling. Thin margins will shrink even more, forcing some restaurants to close. According to our members, their service staff do not want this change to the pay structure. “Our servers do much better than minimum wage by being incentivized by the fact that their tips are based on great service.” ·      Results of a survey of tipped employees by Massachusetts Restaurant Association showed that: o  86% think the current tipping system works for them. o  90% believe that if tipped wages are eliminated, tipped employees will earn less. o  88% oppose a mandatory tip pool where tips are shared with the kitchen and other non-service staff. o  91% say they prefer the current system, with a lower base wage and tips that provide the ability to earn more than the minimum wage. o  56% of respondents report earning more than $30.00/per hour.

Join us as we learn about resources available to employers to help their employees overcome debt and save for retirement. We will also discuss human resource tools available to Massachusetts companies through AIM, the Associated Industries of Massachusetts. Register at westfieldbiz.org/events. Registration is free! Box lunch is available.

Massachusetts Ballot Question 5 impacts all our members, whether directly or indirectly. Our Chamber opposes the measure, as outlined in the following statement: Contact:   Amanda Waterfield                 Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce 413-568-1618 GREATER WESTFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: STATEMENT ON QUESTION 5 10/23/2024 -- The Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce opposes Massachusetts Ballot Question 5, which goes before voters in the Commonwealth in the November 5 election. Ballot Question 5, if passed, will increase the minimum hourly wage an employer must pay a tipped worker to the full state minimum wage implemented over five years. It will also implement a mandatory tip pool for the sharing of tips among all employees, including non-tipped workers. We join our members in the restaurant service industry in opposing the measure for the following reasons: ·      Currently, tipped workers are paid an hourly rate of $6.75, plus whatever tips they collect from patrons during their shift. If a worker’s hourly wage and tips do not add up to $15 per hour, the employer makes up the difference. All tipped workers thus are already making minimum wage or better. ·      Under Question 5, employers expect their labor costs to increase by a huge margin (35% or up to $30,000 per month, in some instances). ·      Patrons will feel this impact in several ways: o  First, their favorite servers may leave the industry to find better pay in other fields, due to fewer shifts being available and lower wages in the restaurant industry. o  Second, increased labor costs among the service staff means reduced pay for back of the house, causing cooks and support staff to leave for better pay elsewhere. Fewer cooks will mean longer wait times for meals. o  Third, higher costs to the restaurant will mean higher menu pricing for the consumer. Many establishments will not survive this change, resulting in business closures and loss of jobs. ·      Many restaurants are already struggling. Thin margins will shrink even more, forcing some restaurants to close. According to our members, their service staff do not want this change to the pay structure. “Our servers do much better than minimum wage by being incentivized by the fact that their tips are based on great service.” ·      Results of a survey of tipped employees by Massachusetts Restaurant Association showed that: o  86% think the current tipping system works for them. o  90% believe that if tipped wages are eliminated, tipped employees will earn less. o  88% oppose a mandatory tip pool where tips are shared with the kitchen and other non-service staff. o  91% say they prefer the current system, with a lower base wage and tips that provide the ability to earn more than the minimum wage. o  56% of respondents report earning more than $30.00/per hour.

Our Chamber has relocated to downtown Westfield. Our ribbon cutting yesterday was a great success, with state and local officials, board members, Chamber members, and neighbors helping us celebrate. We're happy to be in the heart of the city once again. Visit us at 166 Elm Street in Westfield! #localbusiness #westfieldma #workingforbusiness #communityfirst

What a great September Breakfast our chamber had this morning. Thank you to our Platinum Sponsor, Baystate Health for sponsoring today's event. Our legislators were informative and engaging. Thank you Ron Bryant for a great update on how far Baystate Noble has come since 2010. We are lucky to have this amazing resource in our community. The 104th Fighter Wing was a gracious host. Thanks to all of our sponsors and attendees!

We're taking collaboration to a new level with Dinner Downtown! Seven chamber businesses are teaming up to bring our community a first-of-its-kind dining event. Check out the gourmet menus and all the details at westfieldbiz.org/events. #shortstopbarandgrille #thetavern #tribecagastrobarandgrille #tuckersrestaurant #esilvercharcuterie #jeromespartyplus #westfieldtechnicalacademy

Our new home in downtown Westfield is making new news. We sat down yesterday with WWLP to discuss the location and its benefits. https://lnkd.in/ebN9bD4P

We're thrilled to be bringing a new event to Westfield. Join us for Dinner Downtown on September 17. Attend this special community dinner as a guest, or support it as a sponsor. Contact the Chamber for more info!

If you haven't attended a Chamber event in a while, be sure to reconnect with us this Fall. Many events are free. We invite you to register at https://lnkd.in/eDhEQAfS or call the office at 413-568-1618.

Networking is one of our many functions at the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce. Today's Morning Brew was packed with news, resources, and events. Join us for this high-value hour every month on the fourth Thursday!