Some Georgetown University students are supporting a proposed ballot initiative that would increase Washington, D.C.’s minimum wage to $25 by July 2029, arguing the increase would reflect inflation and the cost of living.
The D.C. Living Wage for All Amendment Act aims to increase the minimum wage in D.C. from $17.95 to $25 an hour by July 2029, while also eliminating the current subminimum wage in place for tipped workers by July 2031. The D.C. Board of Elections, the government agency that administers elections, voted to certify the initiative — introduced by One Fair Wage, a nonprofit organization that advocates for fair wages — at a March 4 meeting.
Hunter Barcomb (CAS ʼ28), who works locally at Georgetown Cupcakes, said increasing the minimum wage would put college students and members of the working class in a better financial position.
“Seemingly, an increase in D.C.’s minimum wage would give the working class and college students more purchasing power,” Barcomb wrote to The Hoya.
For the initiative to appear on the November ballot, the board must prepare a summary statement, and organizers must draft the language of the measure and collect signatures from 5% of registered voters across a minimum of five wards during a 180 day period.
Sara Holler (CAS ʼ28), who works at the front desk for the Office of Global Services and as a SafeRide driver, said a raise in minimum wage would reflect increasing living expenses in the District.
“In terms of the amendment, I greatly support it, especially due to the high cost of living in D.C.,” Holler wrote to The Hoya.
“As someone from rural Pennsylvania, moving to D.C. was a shock for me in terms of how expensive everything is, and I think that we should quickly address the disconnect between the cost of living and the minimum wage, because people cannot wait for slow deliberation when they are struggling to meet their daily needs,” Holler added.
As living expenses increase across the country, 19 states increased their minimum wage rate on Jan. 1.
In July 2025, the minimum wage in D.C. increased to $17.95 an hour, while minimum wage for tipped workers is $10 an hour. In 2022, 74% of D.C. voters approved Initiative 82, which aims to phase out the minimum wage for tipped workers by 2027. However, the D.C. Council voted to keep minimum wage for tipped workers at $10 through July 2026 and then increase it gradually every two years until it would hit 75% of the normal minimum wage in 2034.
Rachel Miyamoto (CAS ʼ27), a student who works for Georgetown’s history department, said that while the increase in minimum wage could be helpful, it may have economic consequences.
“Currently, the minimum wage is $17.95, so this would be a significant increase,” Miyamoto told The Hoya. “I think increasing the minimum wage is obviously very helpful for people, especially in a time where there’s lots of inflation. However, there are obviously downsides to increasing the minimum wage to such a big extent because increasing the minimum wage obviously has economic implications, and so I appreciate that it’s being placed on ballots so voters can decide.”
A study from the University of California, Berkeley found that a 10% increase in minimum wage could have wider economic impacts, such as raising grocery prices by 0.36% across goods purchased by both low- and high-income households.
Holler said putting the initiative on the ballot allows voters to directly engage with the government on the issue.
“I think that the inclusion of it on the ballot is a great way for D.C. voters to express their feelings about this issue directly, as I think often governments play around with the minimum wage without such direct input,” Holler wrote.
Barcomb said the initiative would benefit student workers across the Georgetown community.
“Ultimately, I believe that the raise in minimum wage would have a net positive for workers in the community,” Barcomb wrote.
Holler said the initiative would allow her to feel more financially comfortable, and it offers benefits for the entire city.
“The passage of this amendment would affect both of my jobs in a very positive way,” Holler wrote. “I feel like I would definitely feel more secure in my financial status and could spend less time thinking about finances.”
“In general, I think it would give autonomy to workers across D.C., which would be beneficial for society as a whole,” Holler added.
Yana • May 26, 2026 at 11:38 am
As a tipped restaurant worker in DC with 14 years of experience, I strongly oppose this initiative. I’ve lived through Initiative 77 and 82, and I can tell you from the front lines that eliminating the tip credit and dramatically raising the minimum wage to $25 will hurt the very workers it claims to help.
I started as a host making $13/hour. It wasn’t enough, so I worked hard, learned the job, and became a server, bartender, and supervisor. Many of my colleagues — especially students working part-time — make significantly more than $25/hour with tips in good restaurants, even casual spots. Tips reward hustle, personality, and service quality. That incentive disappears when restaurants are forced to pay $25 base wage with no tip credit.
Businesses aren’t bottomless pits of money. When labor costs jump this high, owners cut staff, reduce hours, raise menu prices, or close locations. We’ve already seen this pattern. Students working at Georgetown Cupcakes or campus jobs think this is simple — just raise wages and everything gets better. But in the real restaurant world, many positions (especially evening and weekend shifts that students love) will disappear. Entry-level jobs that used to be a stepping stone will become much harder to find.
I support fair wages, but this isn’t fairness — it’s ignoring economic reality. Cost of living is high in DC, but forcing restaurants to pay $25/hour plus full benefits will accelerate automation, reduce service levels, and make dining more expensive for everyone, including the working class this initiative claims to help.
Experienced tipped workers know this system. We’ve built careers in it. Please listen to the people actually working in the industry, not just students with limited work experience pushing policies that sound good in theory but hurt in practice.