Connecticut lawmakers say they want to make another effort to save Thanksgiving. In the face of widespread store openings, Representative Matt Lesser said he’ll once again introduce a bill that would make stores pay their employees 2.5 times their normal rate on Thanksgiving.
Lesser hopes it would discourage retailers from opening on the big day. He and other legislators who have supported the call are swimming against the tide, as more and more retailers plan for Thanksgiving hours.
One Milford mall went so far as to order its stores to open at 6:00 pm on Thanksgiving Day.
Governor Welcomes Job Figures
Governor Dannel Malloy said the state still has a long way to go, despite recent good news on jobs. The most recent survey from the state Department of Labor shows the state adding 3,600 jobs in October; that follows gains of more than 10,000 in September.
At its current rate of growth, the state may see full restoration of the jobs lost during the last downturn sometime next year. The governor says that's good, but it's just a start. "As much as I want to see us recover the jobs that were lost in the Great Recession," Malloy said. "Before the Great Recession, we hadn’t seen any job growth on a net basis either. We dug ourselves into a pretty deep hole and now we’re only starting to make some substantial progress."
In the first ten months of the year, Connecticut has added 18,300 jobs, up from just under 13,700 in the same period of 2013.
Mohegan CEO to Retire
Mitchell Etess, chief executive of the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority, said he plans to retire next year. Etess told investors of his decision on a conference call Thursday. He said he'll remain with the company as it arranges a transition.
Etess joined Mohegan Sun nearly 19 years ago as senior vice president of marketing.
Meanwhile, despite falling revenues, Mohegan Sun has seen a big hike in profits. The Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority, said aggressive cost cutting led to a five-fold increase in fourth quarter net income.
