By McKenna Ross
Las Vegas Review Journal, June 25, 2023
Nevada’s lowest-paid workers will soon see a larger paycheck when the state’s minimum wage reaches about $11.25 an hour ... The law includes a two-tier system that offers a lower wage to employees with qualifying health benefits. This year, those workers will receive a minimum hourly wage of $10.25. It’s also the last year of such a two-tiered system after roughly 55 percent of voters in November 2022 approved a constitutional amendment setting a $12 minimum wage. That will go into effect July 1, 2024. ...
Paul Saginaw, owner of Saginaw’s Delicatessen in Circa Resort, said he supports rising minimum wages because he views it as a “humanitarian problem.” Further, higher wages are good for business, he said. Saginaw said he’s found that when wages went up, labor costs were kept in check or lowered because they had less turnover, resulting in more experienced staff with better productivity.
Saginaw’s currently employs between 85 and 100 people, he said. Everyone earns at least $14 hourly, with a raise after the training period and health care benefits of $420 per person per month.
“(The) biggest struggle is the cost of goods, not wages,” Saginaw said. “When you have a staff that’s been with you and believes they’re in it with you, then they work hard to keep waste to a minimum and provide a high level of service so the guests have a great experience.”