The Department of Employment Services is facing pushback from restaurants and at least one councilmember for a recent round of violation notices.

“That is not a bluff.”

A move to increase D.C.’s tipped minimum wage is back, but restaurants pummeled by the pandemic aren’t fighting it like they did before. Why?

The effort revives Initiative 77, which voters approved in 2018, before it was overturned in a historic move by the D.C. Council.

“We were one of the first industries to be affected in such a way … and it kind of makes me think about the longevity of working in a field like this.”

“It came to light that there was a real need for an organization that really did represent the line-level worker in our industry.”

A procedural error by the D.C. Board of Elections means that a proposed referendum to save Initiative 77 likely won’t happen.

Proponents of a referendum to overturn the D.C. Council’s repeal of Initiative 77 have until Wednesday afternoon to submit more than 25,000 valid signatures from D.C. voters to the Board of Elections.

“Save Our Vote” advocates need to collect enough petition signatures by next Wednesday to put the referendum on the ballot in 2019.

A last-minute lawsuit has put on hold a planned referendum to overturn the D.C. Council’s repeal of Initiative 77.