Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories raised its starting wages from $15.50 to $16 per hour on May 1.
Leith Sorenson, SEL senior vice president of manufacturing, said when the starting wage went up, so did the wages for the other hourly employees. SEL’s goal is to provide good wages and benefits for every position, and the slight increase in wages reflects that.
“When we announced it … we got a lot of great feedback from our employees,” he said. “They are very appreciative of what we decided to do.”
The wage increase is beneficial because when the company can raise its employees’ pay, it benefits them as well as the community, Sorenson said.
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