Because giving grief to the workers doesn't trickle up to the owners. They make the same money regardless.
You can give shit to the owners while making sure workers make a living wage. These things are not related.
If you don't want to tip, then don't tip. But still give grief to the owners. If everyone shit on the owners as much as the staff things would change.
Business owners need to pay their damn employees and stop using the registers to beg customers for more money.
And how exactly are you getting that message across by stiffing your fellow workers? Business owner makes the same money regardless.
I always tip. Not because the service was good or whatever. No one should have to earn a living being a circus monkey. Everyone deserves dignity at work. And everyone deserves a living wage.
By not supporting the worker, you're playing into the game set up ny business owners and CEOs which is to foster an environment of in-fighting of the working class so they can continue to hoard wealth they don't need.
So yeah, I'll always tip and then I give grief to the owner to pay their employees as you say. Because it's them who sets up that worker-on-worker fight club because that's where the grief needs to go. Not the person trying to live on meager wages and deal with shitty customers.
"Tipping culture" is a very reductive way to describe a living wage, but sure. Go you.