This blog post was written by Catherine Barnett of Restaurant Opportunities Center New York (ROC-NY) for our 2018 PowHer The Vote campaign.

Did you know that the restaurant industry is the largest private sector employer of women in the US?

There are 400,000 tipped workers in New York alone. Nearly 57% of tipped workers in the restaurant industry are women and 26% are mothers trying to provide for their families. The minimum wage for tipped workers stands at only $7.50 in much of the state. To reach the state minimum wage of $10.40, workers rely on tips, which puts a predominantly female workforce at an increased risk of sexual harassment from both customers and employers. After a long public discussion and hearings held over the summer, New York is poised to be the first state on the East Coast to pay One Fair Wage.

Drawing on momentum from social justice movements aimed at tackling inequality, amplifying #MeToo, and elevating the voices of women of color, the One Fair Wage campaign has scored a series of stunning local, state, and federal victories to eliminate corporate loopholes that allow employers to pay millions of workers subminimum wages and force employees to depend on the kindness of strangers for most of their earnings. Seven states have already eliminated the subminimum wage, resulting in higher per capita sales and higher job growth in the restaurant industry.

While in Washington DC, just recently, the City Council members repealed Initiative 77, which passed with 57% of voter support and would have gradually increased the subminimum tipped wage to the full minimum wage, the situation in New York is different. Governor Andrew Cuomo has publicly stated his support for eliminating the subminimum wage and has the executive power to do so.

So what needs to happen?

When women raise their collective voice, change happens. As Michelle Ostrander noted in her blog post The Importance of the Women’s Vote, “83.8 million women were registered to vote in 2016, compared to only 73.8 million men but only 63.3% of eligible female adults went to the polls.” Simply put, women make up a powerful block that can drastically affect change throughout the country. Governor Cuomo needs to hear and listen to the will of the people — that working women, as well as all tipped workers, in the state of New York deserve the dignity and respect of One Fair Wage.

And men cannot just simply stand in solidarity. Pledging to do better isn’t enough, especially when women in tipped occupations in New York earn 77% of their male counterparts’ paycheck. We must fight a system that perpetuates gender inequality with systemic fixes.

By passing One Fair Wage, New York can become a leader in fair, equitable pay and better the lives of thousands of working women and tipped workers.