Brandon Johnson says restaurant industry is 'tied to slavery,' demands reparations in Chicago

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson claimed that the restaurant industry "has its vestiges tied to slavery." He made the remarks during a press conference on Thursday after his veto of a bill that would freeze tipped workers' base wage from previously mandated increases. The increases were hurting the restaurant industry. Johnson has also demanded reparations for "black and brown people" in the city.

“When we do have these public meetings, let's make sure that people participate in them and challenge city council not to do stuff like take wages away from black and brown people because that in and of itself has its vestiges tied to slavery," Johnson said.

“And you just watched the entire city council in transparency try to take wages away from the very people who are part of an industry that has its ties to slavery. Nobody's hiding from that. I am boldly declaring that we need reparations in this city,” Johnson added.

In 2023, the Chicago City Council passed a bill that would gradually increase the base wage for tipped workers to get to the full minimum wage by July 1, 2028. However, the council soon realized that the wage increases were hurting restaurant businesses and owners had to cut hours and fire staff to keep up with the wage increases.

The City Council proposed to freeze the increases on tipped worker pay at $12.62 an hour. The bill passed in the council 30 to 19, but the council would have needed 34 votes to override Johnson's veto. The mayor was also asked by a reporter about the reparations task force non-compliance with transparency laws.

Johnson has called his veto of the bill a victory for working people. In response to the action from Johnson, the Illinois Restaurant Association said in a statement:

"While we are disappointed that the mayor vetoed the tip credit freeze, we are hopeful that the 60 percent of the Chicago City Council who stood up for our operators and servers will help us find a path forward that will protect restaurants and save our jobs.

"We urge the mayor to listen to the 30 aldermen who heard from hundreds of servers and operators from across the city that something needs to be done to support these restaurants. Their margins are slim and the risks are high for these businesses and inaction will only lead to more closures. Neighborhoods will slowly lose establishments that are integral to their communities, and the places that make this city special will eventually disappear.

"We seek a good faith effort from this administration to find a viable solution. Although there wasn't enough support to override the mayor's veto, the majority of the City Council recognized the urgent need for immediate action. We hope the mayor's office acknowledges this widespread support, recognizes the significant concerns with the current plan, and commits to finding a solution that genuinely supports our restaurant workers, small businesses, and all 77 of the communities they serve."