PHOENIX — The group championing a new ballot initiative that would raise Arizona's minimum wage is choosing to discontinue the proposal.
On Thursday, the Raise the Wage AZ campaign announced its decision to withdraw the signatures submitted to the Arizona Secretary of State's Office for a proposition that would have increased the minimum wage from $14.35 to $18 per hour for all workers.
The initiative would have additionally made changes to how tipped workers are compensated in Arizona.
“We will never stop pushing to win what all Arizona workers deserve: a livable wage with tips on top," Saru Jayaraman, president of One Fair Wage, said in a statement.
The group behind the initiative will instead focus on passing legislation in Arizona to raise wages.
The Raise the Wage initiative was challenged in court by the Arizona Restaurant Association, which is championing a separate ballot initiative involving tipped workers.
Proposition 138, also known as "Tipped Workers Protection Act," would allow businesses to pay employees up to 25% less than the minimum wage if the employer can establish that the employee’s wage plus tips is at least $2 more than the minimum wage for every hour worked.
“Without passage of Prop 138, you can bet the imposters behind One Fair Wage will be back with a future attempts to install a California-style pay system in Arizona,” Steve Chucri, president & CEO of the Arizona Restaurant Association, said in a statement.
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