Hobby Lobby workers elated about across-the-board pay hikes

Hobby Lobby assistant manager Adam Garcia said his employees are still in shock.

Last week 8th Street store manager David Schafer returned from a meeting in Denver with unprecedented news: all hourly full-time employees would begin receiving a minimum wage of $10 per hour immediately.

"While it doesn't affect me directly, 19 of our 24 employees will receive the increase. We're the smallest of three Hobby Lobby stores in Colorado Springs - the others have about 30 employees - so it will apply to them too," Garcia said, adding that employee reaction was complete surprise. "Some couldn't believe it. Mainly it was just 'thank you, thank you.' It was awesome."

The 8th St. store, like many others had seen cutbacks in the hours worked by employees - and their family members.

With about 400 arts and craft stores throughout the country, Oklahoma City-based Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. and its affiliated businesses including Mardel and Hemispheres employ about 6,900, full-time and part-time people.