Tipping the Balance

The food service industry is the third largest employer in the United States. In Massachusetts, 300,000 people work in restaurants, bars, clubs and so on. Many rely on tips for their income.

By one estimate, out of Cornell University, Americans hand over about $30 billion in gratuities each year. But some workers say employers are now skimming those tips.

It's becoming a battleground over workers rights, as some take their bosses to court. A Massachusetts attorney's success in winning a lot of the cases is drawing national notice. WBUR's David Boeri reports.