>>There are unionized hotel positions where tips are either few/far between or zero.

Yes, but it's argumentum ad absurdum to focus only on those roles to declare tips marginal. Especially when people like Christin Fernandez from the National Restaurant Association say "the tipped culture is still what draws many people into our industry.”

If you don't like restaurants, how about bell hops or maids. I was told early in my travels to leave a few dollars under the room's phone on departure because it makes a difference to low-paid domestic workers. Now I discover that in your own state of NY, the Hotel Workers' Union's contract sees maids earning $28/hr or $50-$60K annually, aiming for $70000 by 2023, in addition to healthcare assistance. I don't think anybody is messing around with a minimum wage of $15 or crying tears of gratitude because my few dollars allowed a piece of fruit for the kids. ;-) Seems to me that elimination of low wages alters the moral obligation to tip because the recipient relies on it. Perhaps in time the US will join the rest of us in tipping only for exceptional service. Meantime it appears that at least in NY, hotel owners and unions seem to come up with workable solutions that make everybody happy except Chicken Little. ;-)