The western side of the Upper Peninsula is a tourist centered area. If the Michigan Supreme Court decision on minimum wage for tipped workers is not addressed in Lansing, state Representative Greg Markkanen is afraid their local economy will take a hit.
“We came through the pandemic, we lost some businesses and now last winter with the devastating winter that we had, some other businesses closed,” Markkanen said. “Now with this decision from the Supreme Court, it’s going to be a hard hit for our local economy because so many of our employees, these small businesses are tipped employees.”
The Michigan Supreme Court has ruled tipped workers, like servers, should be paid the same minimum wage as everyone else. Markkanen says the ruling gives the UP’s border state, Wisconsin, an advantage.
A previous survey from the Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association found that roughly 92% of restaurants would be forced to hike prices as a result of the decision.
