Chili’s workers’ lawsuit looks to strike New York state’s lower wage for tipped workers

By Daniel Wiessner Oct 23 (Reuters) A lawsuit filed on Friday involving the pay practices of Chili s operator Brinker International is seeking to strike down New York state s lower minimum wage for workers who earn tips, which it claims fuels ​the sexual and racial harassment of workers. The proposed class action in federal court ‌in Brooklyn by three former Chili s employees claims that New York s policy, which most other US states share, allows Brinker to force employees to rely on tips and exposes them to unlawful discrimination. Brinker promotes a culture in which tipped service employees make customers feel special, even at the expense of their dignity and ‌safety, ​the lawsuit says. Brinker did not respond to a request for ⁠comment. The New York Attorney General s ⁠office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the challenge to the state law. Many worker advocates have for years called for the elimination of sub-minimum wages that companies may pay to worker