The casino industry is back up and running in Minnesota and other places, and actually doing pretty well. Seeking a better quality of life for its residents, the White Earth Nation based in northwestern Minnesota announces that it will double its minimum wage for employees of the tribal government from $8 to $16 per hour. One caveat is that total includes tips received by staff. "With the gas prices and medical costs, everything that is going up, we have to come up with this sooner than later," a White Earth Nation spokesperson said. "Hopefully we can get other tribal nations to follow us, and other corporations and companies to do so also." The White Earth Nation and Shooting Star casinos in the Detroit Lakes region have ramped up to approximately 470 staff members, peaking to 650 employees during the busy summer season. Minnesota's minimum wage currently sits at $10.08 per hour for employers with more than $500,000 in revenue. Both Minneapolis and St. Paul have approved measures that will eventually see the $15 per hour standard that continues to be argued in Congress. Recent episodes of As You Know on the Crowley Channel have focused on minimum wage and how $15 may be necessary in coastal areas and big cities, but not necessarily elsewhere. Minimum wage proposals originally included in the COVID-19 Relief Bill became earmarked towards educators who now expect bonuses after continuing to balk at returning to in-person learning post-pandemic.
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