Tipping has been around for centuries, having started in Europe during the late Middle Ages. As it made its way to the U.S., it was intended to give the appearance of Old World sophistication. However, some employers used tipping as a form of slavery.
After the Civil War, two of the biggest industries free Black people worked in were food service and railroads. And with employers having reaped the toxic fruit of Black slave labor before the war, many refused to give our people wages.
What began as a form of noblesse oblige ended up as a nefarious practice. And while in 1915 several states attempted to pass anti-tipping laws so that service workers could earn a living wage, employers fought back and blocked them.
The best our country could do to end tipping was the subminimum wage amendments of 1966, which required employers to pay a minimum hourly wage of $2.13 if employees relied on tips as their main income source. Almost 50 years later, that minimum remains the law.
The tipping system was supposed to be a reward for good service, but the practice has become corrupted. What would a world where everyone was guaranteed a good wage,regardless of their industry,look like?