EmployIndy launched the Good Wages Initiative in April 2022 after more than a year of collaboration, deliberation, and strategic planning with a group of community stakeholders. This initiative certifies, celebrates, and showcases Marion County employers that are committed to providing full-time employees both a wage of at least $18/hour and access to health insurance benefits.
Marion County businesses can participate in the Good Wages Initiative as either a Certified Employer or a Committed Employer. Certified GWI employers pay all employees $18/hour or more and offer access to health benefits. Committed status is available to employers who do not yet meet one or both of the certification requirements but have created a plan to implement them within two years.
58 companies representing 18 industries and over 23,400 workers have signed on to the Good Wages Initiative and have committed to $4.2M in annualized wage increases. The Good Wages Initiative has 55 Certified Employers and 3 Committed Employers, and Mi-Tech Tungsten Metals, which manufactures tungsten alloy, tungsten copper, and tungsten silver for industries such as defense, aerospace, and oil & gas, is a proud Good Wages Initiative Certified Employer.
Mi-Tech Tungsten Metals was founded in 1978 by the owners of Microcarbide and four former employees of P.R. Mallory, and their goal was to provide reliable, high-quality copper and silver tungsten composite materials. While the company has grown over the years, it is still committed to that original vision and to achieving its one goal: to provide the best tungsten metal products on the market. Its production facilities are flexible enough to handle all types of projects, and its quality assurance procedures ensure reliable results. Two employees shared their experience working at Mi-Tech Tungsten Metals and what it means for the company to invest in its people and participate in the Good Wages Initiative.
Mike Yates has been at Mi-Tech Tungsten Metals for 13 years and has held a variety of roles. He started as a CNC Set-Up Operator, moved to CNC Lead, became a Supervisor, then a General Supervisor, and is now a Production Manager. Kealy Miller has been with the company for three years, starting as a Production Clerk, shifting to a front office position, then a role in shipping, and is now a Quality Clerk. Yates’s role is to ensure the safety of staff and the production of quality parts in a timely manner, and he’s focused on making sure his teammates have all of the resources they need to perform their duties. Miller’s position has her preparing special material certs for customers, managing monthly calibrations for external and internal small gages, ordering supplies needed for the Quality Department, and filing materials from job orders.
When asked what they enjoy about their roles, Yates said that he likes being able to work alongside his teammates and getting solve problems. Miller shared that she’s “able to see the beginning to end of a finished product. Seeing my name on a Cert that serves as a stamp of approval that what we’ve produced is an authentic and quality product, made by people that I work beside, is rewarding to me.”
Yates said that a good wage impacts him both at work and at home and makes him “feel rewarded for hard work” and that it shows that the company appreciates his efforts. Miller shared that a good wage serves as encouragement to show up to work on time and be as productive as possible, and it gives her pride knowing that she is part of a work team. She also mentioned that a good wage “allows employees to financially provide for their families. It lessens the worries of financial burdens and stress and allows for a healthier work environment with employees that are more engaged in their work and in the work environment.”
Both Miller and Yates said that Mi-Tech Tungsten Metals’ participation in the Good Wages Initiative shows the company’s values. Miller shared that it means she and other employees do not feel the need to search for other companies to find better wages and benefits: “The Good Wages Initiative is one of the ways that Mi-Tech can show that they care about employee health and lifestyle. It provides employees with a sense of security in knowing they are making competitive wages with decent health benefits.” Yates summed it up in one sentence: “I feel proud that we are taking care of the team.”
To learn more about Mi-Tech Tungsten Metals, visit https://www.mttm.com/.
To learn more about GWI, visit https://goodwagesindy.org/.