The pay raise was great, but this 27-year-old Erie man likes the job even better

James Minier, 27, is like a lot of young men his age.

He likes to play video games and watch sports on television, especially hockey and mixed martial arts. He likes a good laugh and enjoys his mom's cooking, especially bacon macaroni and cheese.

And his work is important to him.

His boss, Ashleigh Walters, CEO of Onex Inc., might have guessed that part. From the window of her office at 917 Bacon St., in Erie, she often sees him running the final leg of his trip into work after his mom drops him off outside.

The dash into the building is a short one.

But Minier, a client of the Barber National Institute, which provides services for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, has come a long way.

James Minier, a pre-cast specialist at Onex, assembles pallets on March 12 at the Erie company. Minier, a client of the Barber National Institute, works part-time at Onex performing a variety of jobs.FILE PHOTO/ERIE TIMES-NEWS

After years of working at minimum wage, including seven years doing janitorial work at an Erie call center, he's been given a promotion, new responsibilities and an opportunity, if he works enough hours, to participate in an employee stock ownership plan at Onex.

In short, Minier, who lived at home until a few months ago, could become a part-owner.

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He didn't say no when he got a pay raise, bumping his hourly rate from $7.25 to $9 an hour.

Like many with intellectual disabilities, he receives Social Security benefits. But there is still rent to pay and groceries to buy. Like anyone else, Minier can find a use for the money.

It seems apparent from watching Minier on the job that he's earning his paycheck.

On a recent Friday, Minier, who was wearing an orange Onex T-Shirt and a black face mask, wielded a cordless drill equipped with a screwdriver head. One by one, he mended broken pallets by power-driving wood screws into place.