Calgary flames won’t pay their hourly staff during Covid-19

[keenan87]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

I know you’re not criticizing him, but I just hate the idea of even talking about whether a player should be doing this. Or if he does, that it should somehow be publicized. I firmly believe Gio is incredibly generous but his earning power compared to Zion Williamson’s is night and day and he can’t do anything on the same scale.

You are right.. how will Giordano feed his family if he gives up $100k out of his 6+ million dollar salary. The man will not be able to survive.

I am not saying he is obligated to help as much as Zion (if at all) but disagree completely that he doesn't have the earning power to help. Him giving 100k is equivalent to an average person making $65k giving $900 dollars ... I believe most of us average joes would gladly contribute $900 if they know its gonna really help hundreds of people not endure great financial stress.

[Barca]

are the flames and jets are the only Canadian teams left not paying their staff?

[Svartsengi]

Originally Posted by Barnet Flame

Where does he live?

I’ll egg his house.

I doubt Murray Edwards is home. Too busy selling Lysol and Toilet Paper out of the back of a truck for 10X what he paid for it. Tough economic times and all.

[dirk diggler]

Originally Posted by Jaybo

At the risk of sounding like Bernie Sanders (and maybe having some reading this tune out automatically), *this* list is why society shouldn't have billionaires.

There is something legitimately wrong with people who hoard enough wealth than a person could spend in 1000 lifetimes, let alone a single lifetime. It's sociopathic.

David Thomson from the Jets is Canada's richest person with a net worth of $34 billion.

Someone on Twitter pointed out if he paid all TNSE employees *$50,000* for the balance of the NHL season, his net worth at the end of it would be...$34 billion dollars.

It's obscene, it's sickening, and my hope is that the craziness we are experiencing right now will result in some deeper changes in society about how we view each other, how we support each other, and how we care for those with the least among us.

Love this comment. bang on.

[WhiteTiger]

I'm curious, and maybe this has been answered somewhere already (there is a LOT of info out there), but the teams that said that they'll top off EI to bring their employees up to their usual standard...doesn't EI start lopping off it's given sums if you bring in any money at all? Couldn't this move end up costing the employees?

[the2bears]

Very bad look for the Flames organization. I'm really disappointed this is their take.

[TheScorpion]

I was planning on buying another Flames jersey when I managed to find a job after this whole pandemic business winds down. I was thinking one of the white Heritage Classic jerseys with Mangiapane or maybe Ryan on the back.

After this, nope. I'll give North Star Jerseys some business in a couple months customizing a couple jerseys I already own, instead. But I don't think I can justify financially supporting this team any more in the near future, unless they really pull up their socks. I've been to like 25 games this year and I look forward to each one on the calendar so, so much, especially with some of my recent health issues limiting a lot of things I can do. But this is just so low on every level.

The right decision should've been made on this yesterday. I'll keep on cheering for the players but I'm way less of a Flames fan today than I was last week. I'm more of a Gaudreau/Monahan/Mangiapane/Tkachuk/etc fan.

[GirlySports]

Yeah it's a really bad look. Especially after getting the new arena deal plus raising ticket prices next year.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

I was planning on buying another Flames jersey when I managed to find a job after this whole pandemic business winds down. I was thinking one of the white Heritage Classic jerseys with Mangiapane or maybe Ryan on the back.

After this, nope. I'll give North Star Jerseys some business in a couple months customizing a couple jerseys I already own, instead. But I don't think I can justify financially supporting this team any more in the near future, unless they really pull up their socks. I've been to like 25 games this year and I look forward to each one on the calendar so, so much, especially with some of my recent health issues limiting a lot of things I can do. But this is just so low on every level.

The right decision should've been made on this yesterday. I'll keep on cheering for the players but I'm way less of a Flames fan today than I was last week. I'm more of a Gaudreau/Monahan/Mangiapane/Tkachuk/etc fan.

Not to mention, a CP fan. This community is one of the best features of the Flames.

[Ahuch]

Taxpayers cover the arena and GoFundMe makes sure their employees can eat, seems like a solid business model for Billionaires

[the2bears]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

Good on Zion. He appears very generous and his brand will only increase in value over this. A lesson the Flames owners should learn.

But I don’t like calling out Gio or any other Flames player. That’s wrong IMO.

Agreed. It's awesome if a player does this, but it's the responsibility of the owners. They're the employers after all.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by keenan87

You are right.. how will Giordano feed his family if he gives up $100k out of his 6+ million dollar salary. The man will not be able to survive.

I am not saying he is obligated to help as much as Zion (if at all) but disagree completely that he doesn't have the earning power to help. Him giving 100k is equivalent to an average person making $65k giving $900 dollars ... I believe most of us average joes would gladly contribute $900 if they know its gonna really help hundreds of people not endure great financial stress.

Do you think you’re accurately representing what I said?

Did I say he wouldn’t be able to feed his family?
Did I say he doesn’t have the earning power to help?

Come on now.

How about the Flames owners do what is right and decent so that people like Giordano and others can help in other places, instead of having to pay the Flames employees?

[RedHot25]

Originally Posted by WhiteTiger

I'm curious, and maybe this has been answered somewhere already (there is a LOT of info out there), but the teams that said that they'll top off EI to bring their employees up to their usual standard...doesn't EI start lopping off it's given sums if you bring in any money at all? Couldn't this move end up costing the employees?

Yes.

"If you work while receiving regular benefits and have served your waiting period, you will be able to keep 50 cents of your EI benefits for every dollar you earn, up to 90 percent of the weekly insurable earnings used to calculate your EI benefit amount. This 90 percent amount is called the earnings threshold".

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...A82wvV03xRpbMJ

[Minnie]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1238583302962864128

[Jiri Hrdina]

Folks, this was sent to me by an employee of CSEC impacted by this. They wish to remain anonymous. These are their unedited words, not mine, but they wanted to pass this on and I'm happy to do that for them:


"Folks:
Here is the perspective of one of the event day staff at the Saddledome. I've been doing it for a long time, and have been in the event industry for most of my life.
I totally get how mad some of are about the Flames reaction to this situation. I can't say I am suprised by it, both because of how crazy things have been the last few days within the organization and without, but also because of the culture within CESC. It has seemed like the last few years that the individual game day employee is less valued, which might either be a philosophical decision, or just the reality of Calgary in 2020, where you don't have to treat your employees as well as you did during the boom times.


Part time employees at the Dome is a realy wide ranging group, but I can kinda put them in three catagories:


1. Game day staff who have it as a part time gig. I'm one of those folks. It sucks that I don't get to work at the Dome, and it will impact me for certain, but it's not a game changer for me.


2. Game day staff who have it as a main gig: These are the folks who work all the events, Flames, Hitmen, Roughnecks, concerts. A number of these folks are getting a double wammy, as some work for Stampede in similar roles, such as concession worker or security, and the BMO Centre has also gone dark. These are folks who are very vulnerable and who I hope are getting ROEs Monday and can start the EI process. As others have noted, these folks are being hit very hard right now, as March was an incredibly busy month at the Dome, plus BMO, and it's paycheques like these that allow folks to survive through the lean times when events dry up, like May and June.


3. Everyday hourly staff at the Dome. These are the folks who might work 30-40 hours a week almost all; of the year. Security guards who work non event days, prep cooks and warehouse folks in F&B, those sort of folks. Same thing as #2, I hope that they can go on EI right away and recover some of their earnings. This is the group that the Oilers will say they will help, as they will top up EI to what they usually make.

My take on the situation:


It would be great for CESC to help my fellow staffers. As noted, I'm OK, but some fo the folks who wear the same uniform I do are not. In my opinion, CESC should at the least help those folks who work enough to get at least partial benefits. This starts (I believe) at 500 hrs a year, so the staff who are in #2 and #3 of my last post.


Even if they do, it won't make a whole lot of these folks 'whole'. As mentioned, a bunch of them work multiple jobs, with the Dome being a large chunk but not all that they do to keep body and soul together. To that end, don't just worry about the great folks I work with at the Dome, but people in the service industry generally. They will be hurting. If you are well, and can, support them.

As well, I am fortunate enough to get tipped for what I do at the Dome. So even if I get my $60-$75 an event (4-5 hours at min wage), it won't come close to what I come out of the Dome with in a night.


As for what the folks I work with are saying? They are mad, and some of them are really scared. If CESC can do something to help these folks, I think it will go a long way to showing that they care about how their patrons feel, and that they pay more than lip service to what they tell us as staff, that we are an important part of what makes CESC special and unique.



To close, thanks for Jiri for passing this on to the CP community, and thanks to all of you who care about Calgary's sports teams. I've thrilled to have been a tiny part of a lot of exciting moments, and without you being there the teams wouldn't exist and I wouldn't have been able to be there."

[Manhattanboy]

I strongly suspect they will reverse course on this but still looks bad.

[Hockeyguy15]

Originally Posted by GoFlamesGo

Thanks for the share and support!

This is something you expect Eugene Melnyk to do, not the Flames.

Can't let the stupid Oilers one up us.

Go Flames Staff Go

Lucic donated 5k. Classy guy.

[TheScorpion]

Either Milan Lucic just donated $5,000 to help out workers or somebody did so in his name.

Either way... awesome. Might be another thing to add to the Lucic fan club.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1239039491626557440

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Hockeyguy15

Lucic donated 5k. Classy guy.

Looks like the Gio family in for 5k too

[SportsJunky]

Take that Brad Marchand