Watson Coleman: “This letter says that absolutely the Fair Labor Standards Act prohibits employers from paying less than the current…”

“This letter says that absolutely the Fair Labor Standards Act prohibits employers from paying less than the current minimum wage. That is to be taken into consideration in terms of what the Senate is doing with the minimum wage tip credit provision. The letter from the Department of Labor is very clear. If my colleagues have any question, this is now part of the Record; I have asked that it be printed in the Record. It lays it out very clearly. Again, the letter states that if the tip credit becomes law, the Labor Department reads it ``as protecting the current minimum wages of the tipped employees in the seven States that now exclude a tipped employee's tips from being considered as wages because to do otherwise would be inconsistent with what we understand to be the intent of Congress and the Fair Labor Standards Act.'' In my State, the minimum wage is $6.15. Our employee wages are not going to be decreased if this tip provision comes in. If there is an increase above that, then of that amount of the increase, you could use tip credits to compensate for that, with no decrease in the minimum wage. This is nothing more than an effort by my colleagues on the other side to steal defeat from the jaws of victory as we move to the opportunity to pass an increase in the Federal minimum wage. Let's not miss that opportunity. Let's support this bill and get this done on Friday. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alaska is recognized.”