December 20 2024. It is official, after months of work to make it happen by the Sault Tribe Administrative Team in all departments.......with possible staff turn-over as a result of delays and dozens of Sault Tribe Job Openings the Tribal Board issued the press release........................
"SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. —The Sault Tribe Board of Directors announced today that it has unanimously approved the results of compensation studies for Tribal Government, Economic Development Corporation (EDC), and Kewadin Casino employees that will result in improved wages for all employees. This milestone reflects the Tribe’s commitment to recognizing the hard work, dedication and positive impact of its workforce.
“Tribe employees are our community, our family, and it’s important that we take care of each other,” said Sault Tribe Chairman Austin Lowes. “We are proud that the board’s unanimous decision will result in a base salary increase for hundreds of Sault Tribe employees to ensure that we are offering competitive wages based on the market rate for every position.”
Recommendations that will be implemented from the compensation studies include: • Pay Adjustments: All non-tipped employees will receive either an increase to the minimum of their updated compensation range or a 3% pay adjustment, whichever is greater. • Retroactive Pay: Employees will also receive retroactive pay for the period of October 1, 2024, through December 31, 2024. These payments are expected to be distributed in January 2025.
One key wage adjustment will be increasing the minimum wage for tribal employees to $14.50 for government employees and to $15 per hour for EDC and Kewadin employees, which leaders expressed as vital to competing in today’s job market.
“From elder services to cultural program and natural resources and everything in between, our employees are integral to the work we do to serve and support the community,” said Sault Tribe Executive Director Christine McPherson. “Implementing the recommendations from the compensation studies demonstrates that we value our team and their contributions to our collective success.”
“This is positive step for the Tribe to be able to bring all team member wages to compete with what other employers in the market are offering. We really appreciate the guidance and work of our leadership who ensured that this initiative was successful,” said Dan Doyle, executive director of the Sault Tribe Economic Development Corporation
Kewadin Casino CEO Allen Kerridge said the board’s action to improve the tribe’s investment in talent attraction and retention will be a boost for the casino operations.
“The wage increases will change the game for our Tribe to provide a competitive wage in our market and ensures that we can recruit additional staff necessary to continue growing our businesses. Thank you to Sault Tribe leadership for making this happen,” said Kerridge.
All pay adjustments will take effect in January 2025. Tribal employees will be contacted by Human Resources to inform them of their specific pay adjustment. "
