To: Anastasia P. Williams (RI-9), Dawn Euer (RI-13), Jessica de la Cruz (RI-23), The Rhode Island State House, and The Rhode Island State Senate

Pass the Bill to End Tip Theft in Rhode Island

We urge you to pass the proposed legislation to end tip theft in Rhode Island, SB574 and HB5121. It is outrageous that it is legal in our state for owners, managers, and supervisors to steal the hard-earned tip money of low-wage service workers.

Besides aiding workers, the bill also protects consumers, who are being defrauded every time a manager pockets tip money intended to go to waitstaff.

All forms of tip theft should end, and we see no reason to alter the bill's language or provide exemptions for certain types of businesses. Stealing workers' tips is wrong, no matter how or where it happens.

Thank you!

Why is this important?

In Rhode Island it's legal for owners, managers, and supervisors to steal tip money from their hard-working employees. Many states have outlawed the practice, but there is still no real federal law against it.

Our proposed bill will ban managerial employees from taking any portion of workers' gratuities, whether they do it through simply demanding a cut or through automatic service charges, credit card fees, or by including themselves in tip pools.

Please see our video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-97eXc9OPGc for more information.

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