More than 70 Augustine Casino employees received a surprise “hero pay” lump-sum payment last week for their work in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. They are employees deemed by the Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians to be essential workers.

The Augustine Tribal Council voted to give tribal government and casino workers $10 in additional pay for each hour worked in 2020, or “one of the most difficult years in recent memory,” according to an official press release. Recipients included food and beverage, housekeeping and guest-services employees.

They were presented with a one-time incremental paycheck with retroactive pay that ranged from several hundred dollars to $19,000.