The Business of HockeyDiscuss the financial and business aspects of the NHL. Franchise sales, valuations, TV contracts, ratings, expansion, relocation, the CBA and work stoppage discussion goes here.
Team Staff Salary Cuts & Layoffs (MOD: and local city impacts from lockout)
Full-time Flames staffers and contract workers have recently been put on notice they may be in line for salary cuts -- some coming as early as early as Sept. 16.
Close to 175 full-time employees of the Flames, which includes those running the Calgary Hitmen and Roughnecks, will learn more about their financial fate in the next handful of days as the club unveils a plan that will see pay-cuts of various degrees levied.
"We have a contingency plan in place -- it would be stupid of us not to," confirmed Flames president and CEO Ken King, adding quickly that such a contingency plan doesn't presuppose there will be a lockout.
"What we would attempt to do is affect as few people as possible and as minimally as possible. The plan is quite generous in that some people it won't affect at all."
King confirmed no one employed by the Stampeders football club, which the Flames also own, will be subjected to CBA-related pay cuts.
As an alternative, employees have been given the option of taking a sabbatical or prolonged leave of absence -- without pay -- with guarantees their job will be waiting for them upon their return.
You'd hope that the rest of the organizations follow suit. It would be a nightmare to be laid off from your job because of this situation.
Here's the part of this CBA negotiation that is largely ignored: it hurts real people. The average person with a salary or full time position with the team will feel this, this doesn't just affect millionaires.
Try not to feel too bad for the Flames staffers.
If you find yourself unemployed in Alberta for any significant period of time its because you don't want a job not because there are none to be had.
The Flames staffers will be handled better than the majority of other teams. Don't know why Friedman singled the team out on twitter.
and you know this how? Flames were one of teams that were described as being heartless last time around. About 8 teams were named and shamed in how they treated their staffers during and after the last lock out
and you know this how? Flames were one of teams that were described as being heartless last time around. About 8 teams were named and shamed in how they treated their staffers during and after the last lock out
Try not to feel too bad for the Flames staffers.
If you find yourself unemployed in Alberta for any significant period of time its because you don't want a job not because there are none to be had.
Yes, because for someone having their dream job, it's ok to uproot and start a new career because millionaire/billionaire owners and players squabble over negotiations.
I got what was essentially a salary cut once. I more or less just dragged my feet and cut work as much as I could for the next year or so until I got fired.
If you need to cut the payroll by 20% (just throwing out a #), I think it's better to fire 20% of your workforce versus keeping everyone and cutting everyone's pay by 20%. The former option leaves you with 80% of a motivated workforce, the latter leaves you with your whole workforce but they all resent you now.
I got what was essentially a salary cut once. I more or less just dragged my feet and cut work as much as I could for the next year or so until I got fired.
If you need to cut the payroll by 20% (just throwing out a #), I think it's better to fire 20% of your workforce versus keeping everyone and cutting everyone's pay by 20%. The former option leaves you with 80% of a motivated workforce, the latter leaves you with your whole workforce but they all resent you now.
As an observer of human nature, I disagree. A lot of how things progress with a cutback (either % of salary or # of jobs) is based on the leadership of the company/organization.
Just finished a book which included a story where the leadership of a company was able to so well communicate their passion (and pain in having to make the changes) that folks were even more enthusiastic about the future of the company (and that folks were able to keep a job, albeit with a reduction in salaries).
As an observer of human nature, I disagree. A lot of how things progress with a cutback (either % of salary or # of jobs) is based on the leadership of the company/organization.
Just finished a book which included a story where the leadership of a company was able to so well communicate their passion (and pain in having to make the changes) that folks were even more enthusiastic about the future of the company (and that folks were able to keep a job, albeit with a reduction in salaries).
Well, the way my company handled it was absolutely terrible. So I have no idea how it'd be like if it was handled well.
There will be more stories like this in the coming weeks. People who work in and around the industry who make "regular" wages are really going to feel the pain.
This is why I HATE THE GREED being exhibited by the players and owners. Especially the players who appear to have a very inflated sense of entitlement.
How nice. You can leave your job and not get paid....but when we NEED you you can come back and take a pay cut possibly.
This is very common in volatile industries. It gives people that are more well off, usually older employees, the option to take the time off so the people that have no choice but to stay have minimal pay cuts. It's great that they are offering that. People will take them up on it for sure.
Do none of these people have employment contracts that stipulate what they get paid?
Executives (GM, etc.), coaching staff and maybe the equipment and training staff probably do. And probably the broadcasters. (They might get full salary, partial salary or no salary depending on how things are written.)
But the people hired to do janitorial, answer the phones -- probably not.
If you take a job in a field where work stoppages might happen and could affect your job, do you really deserve sympathy? To be honest, all NHL team employees should have been preparing for this to happen.
If you take a job in a field where work stoppages might happen and could affect your job, do you really deserve sympathy? To be honest, all NHL team employees should have been preparing for this to happen.
A lot of people are too stupid to manage their own finances so they don't have to live paycheck to paycheck. Even people who are fairly well off have this problem, not just the poor.
So yes, NHL team employees SHOULD have been preparing for this to happen, but the reality is most probably haven't.
A lot of people are too stupid to manage their own finances so they don't have to live paycheck to paycheck. Even people who are fairly well off have this problem, not just the poor.
So yes, NHL team employees SHOULD have been preparing for this to happen, but the reality is most probably haven't.
Its hard to prepare for something when you're barely scrapping by. Its not like these guys are making 500k a year. Probably people like ticket agents, marketing etc.... where they make an ok salary but nothing to handle if they were out 6 months.
A lot of people are too stupid to manage their own finances so they don't have to live paycheck to paycheck. Even people who are fairly well off have this problem, not just the poor.
So yes, NHL team employees SHOULD have been preparing for this to happen, but the reality is most probably haven't.
Most of the employees probably make $35-60K per year if they aren't an executive. The industry is generally a hack for paying unless you're at the very top. Most are not "well off".
Quote:
Originally Posted by rojac
If you take a job in a field where work stoppages might happen and could affect your job, do you really deserve sympathy? To be honest, all NHL team employees should have been preparing for this to happen.
You realize almost any industry can have a work stoppage, right? As long as there is an organized union, there is the possibility.
These people working for the organization are held hostage to the owners and players right now. They have absolutely no say, yet their careers are at stake. They're being squeezed in the middle. They also had to proceed as normal and prepare for the entire season, in the event that there was/is a small chance the season happens. So while they may lose ~4 months of work, they still had to do all the necessary work (if not more with contingency plans) to prepare for a regular or sudden launch.
As a fan, you may lose a season of entertainment, but as an employee, they may lose their career.
