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

[Jimmy Stang]

What a tone deaf organization. While I have no choice to support them financially through my tax dollars for the next few years, my voluntary support stops now.

Call me when you get your heads out of your asses and maybe I'll listen.

I'm just a game pack holder, but that's still a cool grand that I'll be able to put to use elsewhere.

[FusionX]

Such a terrible and selfish decision all around. It's bad enough they won't be supporting these employees but by doing so, it forces some to potentially take up jobs elsewhere. At a time when the best thing to do is social distancing, this forces those people to risk themselves, their families and the population as a whole because they can't afford not to. Hopefully they wisen up and do the right thing.

[Jimmy Stang]

Just emailed my rep as well:

Hello XXXX,

Totally not your fault personally, and we are all dealing with a lot, but please let the organization know that I'm out for playoff tickets (if it ever happens) and any future game pack or single ticket expenditures IF they don't change their stance on this. And even if they do, I have a bad taste.

It is extremely tone deaf and ignorant during such a crisis to treat hourly workers like this. It is also extremely poor PR after receiving a substantial contribution from taxpayers and talking about "community" and all of that nonsense.

They'll no doubt backtrack but this has caused considerable damage to my relationship with the organization. I might reconsider if they somehow find a way to realize how bad this looks and change - quickly.

Again - not your fault personally, and I appreciate that you've had a difficult job lately as well. Please take care of yourself and your family as this world gets a bit weird - just tell your bosses to smarten up a bit, please. It is a bad look and has real world implications for a lot of people.

James

[btimbit]

Very well put Jimmy

[cam_wmh]

We should set an over/under to when they cave.
I got $20 on the under, at 1:30pm MST, Monday.

[Dube]

Will I be paid for scheduled shifts that are canceled?

Alberta Employment Standards requires that employers provide 24 hours’ notice for cancellation of scheduled shifts. CSEC will pay employees where the notification of cancellation was less than 24 hours. No payment will be made for shifts cancelled with greater than 24 hours’ notice.



No strategies or support, just a straight up lawyer response to their staff. These are the rules. Best of luck.

[btimbit]

I just hope the organization steps up before one of the players does

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by Dube

Will I be paid for scheduled shifts that are canceled?

Alberta Employment Standards requires that employers provide 24 hours’ notice for cancellation of scheduled shifts. CSEC will pay employees where the notification of cancellation was less than 24 hours. No payment will be made for shifts cancelled with greater than 24 hours’ notice.



No strategies or support, just a straight up lawyer response to their staff. These are the rules. Best of luck.

The staff who were scheduled to work Thursday got paid, but that was it.


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[Cowboy89]

That was put really well Jimmy! I unfortunately did not have as much tact. I told them that if that’s how it is that I hoped the city finds a way out of their arena deal and they move to Houston and that they don’t deserve Calgarians as fans. I guess I forgot about the poor employee who has to read the e-mail who probably has to worry about their own job situation given that they know how the organization thinks.

[cam_wmh]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

The staff who were scheduled to work Thursday got paid, but that was it.


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Were there events scheduled at the dome Friday night? Hitmen/Roughnecks/Concert?

That would be within the 24 hour rule?

[Dube]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

The staff who were scheduled to work Thursday got paid, but that was it.


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I’m aware pal. Isn’t that what this thread is about?

[Nadal Fan]

All the teams who as of right now aren't paying the arena staff......

Arizona Coyotes – Alex Meruelo
Boston Bruins – Jeremy Jacobs
Calgary Flames – N. Murray Edwards
Carolina Hurricanes – Tom Dundon
Colorado Avalanche – Ann Walton Kroenke
Columbus Blue Jackets – John P. McConnell
Minnesota Wild – Craig Leipold
Montreal Canadiens – Geoff Molson
New York Rangers – James L. Dolan
Ottawa Senators – Eugene Melnyk
St. Louis Blues – Tom Stillman
Vancouver Canucks – Francesco Aquilini
Vegas Golden Knights – Bill Foley
Winnipeg Jets – Mark Chipman and David Thomson

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by cam_wmh

Were there events scheduled at the dome Friday night? Hitmen/Roughnecks/Concert?

That would be within the 24 hour rule?

Roughnecks game I believe

edit: yeah just checked. Was supposed to be a busy weekend. Thursday to sunday was Flames, Roughnecks, Flames, Hitmen. Lots of lost hours

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by cam_wmh

Were there events scheduled at the dome Friday night? Hitmen/Roughnecks/Concert?



That would be within the 24 hour rule?

They were told Thursday morning any Friday shift was cancelled. So they were given at least 24 hours notice. There was a roughnecks games scheduled.


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[Mr.Coffee]

Originally Posted by Nadal Fan

All the teams who as of right now aren't paying the arena staff......

Arizona Coyotes – Alex Meruelo
Boston Bruins – Jeremy Jacobs
Calgary Flames – N. Murray Edwards
Carolina Hurricanes – Tom Dundon
Colorado Avalanche – Ann Walton Kroenke
Columbus Blue Jackets – John P. McConnell
Minnesota Wild – Craig Leipold
Montreal Canadiens – Geoff Molson
New York Rangers – James L. Dolan
Ottawa Senators – Eugene Melnyk
St. Louis Blues – Tom Stillman
Vancouver Canucks – Francesco Aquilini
Vegas Golden Knights – Bill Foley
Winnipeg Jets – Mark Chipman and David Thomson

I think you can take the Canucks off the list... kinda... maybe with an asterisk. Francesco Aquilini just said on Twitter that they’ll pay workers ‘based on need’ (paraphrasing). Oh sweet! Thanks Francesco so if I message you and indicate I’m poor enough then you’ll pay me? Thanks Mr.Billionaire!

Also, to the Flames, nice work boys. I’m sure the $250k or whatever it is was worth it!

[Cowboy89]

Originally Posted by Nadal Fan

All the teams who as of right now aren't paying the arena staff......

Arizona Coyotes – Alex Meruelo
Boston Bruins – Jeremy Jacobs
Calgary Flames – N. Murray Edwards
Carolina Hurricanes – Tom Dundon
Colorado Avalanche – Ann Walton Kroenke
Columbus Blue Jackets – John P. McConnell
Minnesota Wild – Craig Leipold
Montreal Canadiens – Geoff Molson
New York Rangers – James L. Dolan
Ottawa Senators – Eugene Melnyk
St. Louis Blues – Tom Stillman
Vancouver Canucks – Francesco Aquilini
Vegas Golden Knights – Bill Foley
Winnipeg Jets – Mark Chipman and David Thomson

Yeah, being on the same side of an issue as Eugene Melnyk is your first sign this might not be a good decision!

[dammage79]

Not impressed with the few remaining NHL teams not paying their arena staff during this. I'm really not happy with the Flames. After all their constant yammering about charity work and community is really sounding hollow after today's announcement.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Hopefully the Flames figure this out and do the right thing. Needed to manage this better. I do wonder about the dynamic of an hourly employee. In the event they pay them in now and all the games get rescheduled (unlikely) do those workers then come to work the game as services paid? Regardless, the Flames needed a much better plan than this.....

The only part of that article that bothers me is the reaction from some city council members positioning the cities funds for the event center as a “donation”. Such political games, the city is using public funds for infrastructure the city also wanted. It’s completely debatable if they should want said piece of infrastructure, but the posturing that they are donating the Flames money is frustrating. If they didn’t want it and didn’t see the benefit for the city, they’d have simply told the Flames to fly a kite.

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by Underdog

It's really hard to be a fan of this team sometimes.

Sometimes?

[Barnet Flame]

I’m incredibly disappointed in this organisation. This is an ridiculously low blow against people that don’t have much.

I go to games whenever I’m in Calgary and intended to catch some games if they made the playoffs in April.

I buy lots of merchandise as well.

Unless this move is reconsidered, I’m done giving this organisation money.

Edit: just realised I typed this whilst wearing a Flames T-shirt and drinking from my Flames mug, both of which I purchased during my visit last April.