Re: 鈥淲ithholding tips no longer allowed,鈥� April 30.
I was in the restaurant business for more than 35 years and know the difference between the wages of the servers and those of the cooks. If the employer were not allowed to distribute a percentage of the servers鈥� tips to the kitchen staff, we would have a bigger crisis in attracting cooks to the industry than we do now.
Most cooks receive only $16 to $20 per hour, while most servers receive minimum wage plus their tips, which could be up to $150 per shift, depending on the restaurant. (Most do not even declare the full amount as income.)
The story states that 鈥渋t is service they provide to customers,鈥� but if the kitchen staff did not prepare the food to the customer鈥檚 desire, the servers would not receive a good tip.
Is cleaning tables at McDonald鈥檚 or bagging groceries considered more hazardous for a 15-year-old than delivering papers in the dark at 6 a.m. in snow or rain before school, losing precious sleep that teenagers need desperately? It is important for young adults to be able to work in a safe environment and to learn the value of money, but not everyone can deliver papers.
I agree that changes have to be made, but before anything is implemented, take a really good look at reality.
Vicki Ghinis
Victoria
