One Fair Wage is trying again to get tipped workers to earn at least the state’s minimum wage – not a smaller “sub-minimum” wage that takes into account the tips they receive – based on referendum wording filed with the Board of State Canvassers on Wednesday.
The move, spearheaded by an entity called Voters to Stop Pay Cuts, now moves into the signature-gathering phase, aiming to restore the wage increase that Michigan voters demanded, fought for, and won, according to organizers.
Years ago, hundreds of thousands of Michiganders collected signatures and won a ballot measure to phase out the outdated, two-tiered wage system. In 2024, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that these wage increases must finally be implemented.
However, earlier this year, the legislature passed SB 8, eliminated this pay hike in the midst of an affordability crisis when families are already struggling to pay rent, buy groceries, and stay healthy, according to organizers.
Under Michigan’s referendum process, voters can suspend newly passed laws by collecting sufficient valid signatures. If this campaign succeeds, SB 8 will be paused and placed on the ballot.
Fair wage advocates are backing a statewide volunteer drive focused on recruiting and training volunteers to join the campaign, coordinating outreach and informing voters about the referendum process and engaging impacted workers and their communities
“The Michigan Supreme Court ruled that these wage increases should be implemented, yet lawmakers rolled them back before they even took effect,” said Saru Jayaraman, President of One Fair Wage. “We’re mobilizing to ensure voters – not politicians – have the ultimate say in whether these protections are upheld.”
In response, Justin Winslow, President & CEO of the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association, said P.A. 1 of 2025 represented that rare outcome voters hope for from their elected officials but rarely experience – a true bipartisan solution in the midst of a polarized environment.
This particular diamond in the rough was crafted after extensive input from tens of thousands of Michigan servers, business owners, and community diners ultimately passed by both the Republican-led House and Democratic-led Senate, and signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
This misguided referendum effort by ‘Voters to Stop Pay Cuts’ – which is simply One Fair Wage under a new name after repeated national failures and campaign finance violations – would ironically deliver the very pay cuts they claim to oppose, Winslow said, because suspending PA 1 would actually slow Michigan’s path to a $15 minimum wage.
“After six years of legal uncertainty, our industry finally has clarity and a responsible path forward. Michigan’s restaurant workers and operators deserve certainty, not the chaos that would result from suspending thoughtful, bipartisan legislation. We urge voters to decline to sign this irresponsible attempt to undermine worker-focused legislation that reflects the voices of actual Michiganders, not out-of-state interests,” he said.
Article courtesy MIRS News for SBAM’s Lansing Watchdog newsletter
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