FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Saturday, February 28, 2026
MEDIA CONTACT:
Bethany Khan: bkhan@culinaryunion226.org ▪ (702) 387-7088
Culinary Union hosts meeting with Congressman Steven Horsford and Shop Stewards as the fight continues for a permanent No Taxes on Tips
Las Vegas, NV – On Saturday, February 28, the Culinary Union brought together over hundred tipped earner Shop Stewards at its headquarters for a special No Taxes on Tips meeting with Congressman Steven Horsford and Assemblymember Linda Hunt. During the meeting, Shop Stewards reviewed the new No Taxes on Tips law and tip deduction, discussed what it means for workers ahead of the tax filing deadline, heard directly from Congressman Horsford about his Tipped Income Protection and Improvement Act, and prepared to mobilize their co-workers. Ahead of Tax Day, Culinary Union will be hosting hundreds of tipped earner union members in a larger No Taxes on Tips event in late March.
“For decades, the Culinary Union has led the fight to eliminate the sub-minimum wage and to protect tipped workers from unfair taxation. Because of our organizing, Nevada has set the standard, ensured workers have a real voice at the table, and now we are fighting to make No Taxes on Tips permanent nationwide,” said Ted Pappageorge, Secretary-Treasurer for the Culinary Union. “At the same time, Las Vegas is experiencing the largest drop in visitation since 1971, even deeper than post-9/11 or during the Great Recession. When tourism levels fall, Culinary Union members are the first to feel it through cuts, reduced hours, and layoffs. The IRS has never cared about tipped workers, no matter who was in office and we have only made progress when we have had real champions like Congressman Horsford standing with us. That is why we are gearing up for a major fight and organizing. We will talk to Democrats, Republicans, and independents and we will run our own members for office so that working families who power this city have a future where they can thrive.”
“Tipped workers deserve fairness. Right now, there is a deduction of up to $25,000 in tipped income for those who qualify, but it is not permanent. It expires in a few years, while tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations were written to last,” said Congressman Steven Horsford (NV-04). “This bill was shaped by direct conversations with the Culinary Union and tipped hospitality workers who know exactly how these tax changes hit their paychecks. Workers need relief that lasts, fairness for married couples, protection for mixed-status families, and safeguards so employers cannot game the system. That is why I introduced the TIP Improvement Act which would make No Taxes on Tips permanent, fix the marriage penalty, allow the use of a verified taxpayer identification number so immigrant workers are not excluded, protect automatic gratuities, and confront the outdated federal sub-minimum wage. Tips should never substitute for a real, livable wage. We are going to keep pushing until this relief is permanent, fair, and truly built around the workers who earn tips every single day.”
“I’ve been a tipped worker and proud Culinary Union member for nearly five decades, and I know exactly what it feels like to depend on every single dollar you bring home,” said Assemblywoman Linda Hunt (AD 17), a 47-year Culinary Union member and Shop Steward who is a tip earner. “When new tax laws change the rules around tips, it isn’t just headlines for hospitality workers in Las Vegas, it’s rent, groceries, and childcare on the line. That’s why it matters so much to have leaders like Congressman Horsford who don’t just talk about working families, but come directly to tip earners and our union to fight for real protections. We need laws that provide clear information and lasting relief for workers, not temporary promises while billionaires and big corporations get permanent tax breaks.”
“As a Shop Steward, I’ve seen firsthand how unfair tip reporting and IRS policies hurt my co-workers. We’ve fought for years alongside elected allies like Congressman Horsford to protect tip earners and we won’t stop now,” said Joe Spica, a Culinary Union member and bellman for 13 years. “Because of our union, we have a real voice at the table and together we’ll hold employers and regulators accountable so that hospitality workers who earn tips can keep more of what they make.”
For over 30 years, the Culinary Union has fought for fair wages, defeated efforts to implement a sub-minimum wage in Nevada (and six other states), and advocated for fair taxation on tips for hundreds of thousands of workers in Nevada. Now, it’s time for the entire nation to follow Nevada’s lead to eliminate the sub-minimum wage, ensure that workers receive a fair wage, and end taxes on tips (permanently) so one job is enough for workers to support their families.
The Culinary Union applauds Congressman Steven Horsford for his leadership by introducing the Tipped Income Protection and Improvement Act, in response to Culinary Union requests to implement fixes to the current “No Tax on Tip Policy,” and urges its swift passage in Congress.
The Tipped Income Protection Improvement Act would do the following:
*Eliminates the federal tipped minimum wage.
*Increases the deduction cap from $25,000 to $50,000 for joint returns.
*Requires the taxpayer (or at least one spouse on a joint return) to include a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) to claim the deduction instead of a Social Security Number.
*Adds safeguards to prevent misuse (such as tips must be paid by a person who is not related to the individual and the individual may not have an ownership stake in the business that employs them for the tipped position).
*Treats automatic gratuities as qualified tips for individuals working in hospitality, food and beverage service, and cosmetology if the amount would otherwise qualify as a tip, if it is a mandatory or suggested charge under a uniform employer policy, and the full amount is received by the employee or distributed through lawful tip pooling under state or local law.
*Removes the current December 31, 2028, sunset and makes the deduction permanent.
*Applies to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025.
The TIP Improvement Act that Congressman Horsford is championing will uplift millions of workers, including many in Nevada, by eliminating federal income taxes on tips and ending the federal sub-minimum wage for tipped workers. In 43 states, tipped workers can still be paid as little as $2.13 an hour before tips, leaving millions of families at risk. Culinary Union believes that permanently making tips tax-free, ending the sub-minimum wage, and cracking down on corporate price gouging on food, gas, and housing must all be part of a comprehensive program that elected leaders take regarding the high cost of living working families face.
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ABOUT CULINARY UNION:
Culinary Workers Union Local 226 and Bartenders Union Local 165, Nevada affiliates of UNITE HERE, represent 60,000 workers in Las Vegas and Reno, including at most of the casino resorts on the Las Vegas Strip and in Downtown Las Vegas. UNITE HERE represents 300,000 workers in gaming, hotel, and food service industries in North America.
The Culinary Union, through the Culinary Health Fund, is one of the largest healthcare consumers in the state. The Culinary Health Fund is sponsored by the Culinary Union and Las Vegas-area employers. It provides health insurance coverage for over 120,000 Nevadans, the Culinary Union’s members, and their dependents.
The Culinary Union is Nevada’s largest Latino/a, Black, AAPI, immigrant organization with members who come from 178 countries and speak over 40 different languages. We are proud to have helped over 18,000 immigrants become American citizens and new voters since 2001 through our affiliate, The Citizenship Project.
The Culinary Union has a diverse membership which is 55% women and 60% immigrants. The demographics of Culinary Union members are approximately: 54% Latino/a, 18% white, 15% Asian, 12% Black, and less than 1% Indigenous Peoples.
Culinary Union members work as: Guest room attendants, cocktail and food servers, porters, bellmen, cooks, bartenders, laundry, and kitchen workers. The Culinary Union has been fighting and winning for working families in Nevada for 90 years.
CulinaryUnion226.org / @Culinary226
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