Aldermen push progressive measures on wages, paid leave

Aldermen attempting to ride a progressive tailwind in Chicago’s new City Council proposed measures Wednesday to advance worker benefits by eliminating a lower minimum wage for tipped employees and allowing workers to accrue more paid leave.

Though past efforts to end the tipped wage have been scuttled, advocates think the timing might be the best yet in Chicago with a champion on City Hall’s fifth floor.

Mayor Brandon Johnson campaigned on the issue and this past weekend donned a One Fair Wage apron and served appetizers in solidarity with servers during a reception at the progressive Netroots Nation conference. Separately, more than half of the 50-member Council — largely members of the body’s more progressive wing — have signed on to expanding the accrual of paid leave up to 15 days.

But the introduction of both items on the same day earned a swift warning from the restaurant industry’s main advocacy group in the state, which said the recovery from the pandemic is still…