MLSE Strike

[RaptorsFan4Life]

Hey guys!

What a game against Chicago!

Anyway, if you guys aren't aware, there's currently a strike for ACC, Real Sports, and Eleven workers. ACC is running on limited staff using a 3rd party company, while Real Sports and Eleven have been closed indefinitely since Thursday night.

This includes wait staff, bartenders, concession workers, house keeping, and the change-over crew (that change the ice-to-court).

We're day 3 into our strike. If you want to know more about what they offered us, what the strike is about, read this thread I posted a couple days ago[1] in /r/toronto[2] , which funnily enough has the aptly named title begging the question why our strike was receiving little media attention. 3 days later, and many phone calls and emails placed, we've figured it out--they're trying to shut us out and keep us quiet.

As I mentioned in that thread, the ACC and Real Sports are premium venues in North America, let alone the City of Toronto. MLSE does a good job at making sure the employees they hire are eager, outgoing, friendly, and technically well skilled at their job, so kudos to the hiring department on that front. Of course, rightfully so. Running both premium venues and the events in the Square, requires the best of the best in the industry. I'm sure I don't need to tell you, but it takes a lot of man power, expertise, and positive vibes to operate Maple Leaf Square day in, day out. The workers behind the scenes are the backbone of those moments you cherish--those cheers and thrills whenever a goal is scored, or a last-second basket is made, and the fog horn sounds with a standing ovation.

We all love working for MLSE. We want to get back to work and provide the excellent service and experience to you inside the ACC and Real Sports. The ticket price for the Leafs is the highest in the league, and MLSE is one of the largest sports franchises in the world. We're baffled as to why our wages would even be considered rolled back. The MLSE brand is a premium brand, and we simply ask we get paid accordingly.

Unfortunately, the offer MLSE gave us was simply overwhelming disrespectful, and they gave us no moral option but to strike.

How overwhelmingly disrespectful?

82% of the vote was in favor to strike, and that doesn't include the people that simply could not attend the meeting. If one could not be present, that vote automatically counts toward NO STRIKE. Which means that 82% of wanting to strike, would have likely been higher. This illustrates just how absolutely unacceptable the new collective bargaining agreement they offered us was. The real percentage could have been 87%, 93%, or just shy of 100%; who knows.

We love our fans, we love our job, we love the Leafs and Raptors, WE LOVE BEING THERE EVERYDAY. We want to get back, but we also need help.

If you'd like to help--we, the team at the ACC, Real Sports and Eleven, would appreciate it.

If, for some reason, you don't support the cause, that's fair. We get the odd person or comment that is rather negative and such. We're not trying to twist anyone's arm.

But if you WOULD like to help, you can do the following:

Tweet: @RealSports, @MapleLeafs, @Raptors, @AirCanadaCentre using the hashtag #BringTheBleedBlueCrewBack (sorry for the extra long hashtag).

Facebook: Real Sports[3] , Leafs[4] , Raptors[5] , Air Canada Center[6] , and kind leave a polite message to bring us back to work, possibly using the aforementioned hashtag.

That's it I suppose. Thank you kindly for reading.

GO LEAFS, and GO RAPTORS!

EDIT fixed 93%

We're workers that work at ACC and Real Sports. Because MLSE is owned by Rogers and Bell, we can't get any press. Wondering if you guys would help the little guys that work hard behind the scenes. [x-post /r/Leafs : torontoraptors

[RandomGuy]

What was the offer you received?

[stooley]

hmm. more information would be nice. like how their wages compare to the rest of the stadiums etc.

[RaptorsFan4Life]

So if you haven't heard, all unionized ACC, Real Sports, and Eleven workers are on strike.

It comes at a less favorable time of year when we all need money, the company included, and a part of me just wishes I didn't vote for a strike, but I/we had to do the right thing. They say it's a slippery slope, and I/we feel MLSE went too far this time. The vote was 82% in favor of a strike.

I'll be honest, I have no idea how this will be received. I fear the citizens of Toronto will not support us and call us "lazy" and call for us to get back to work. Truth is, the people that work at all venues put on a SHOW. Your experience at Real Sports or the ACC is electrifying because the industry professionals working them are the best of the best in this city. We make look easy I suppose.

MLSE's general good hiring practice is indicative that we require extremely professional, energetic, engaging, AND EXPERIENCED staff to run their entire operation. And we are. We work very hard covering huge areas, with lots of stairs and floors--and--for anyone that's worked in the restaurant industry, you know it's tough. You take heat from you guests, you take heat from your manager. And what do you do with all the anxiety? You bottle it. That's how the industry works. That's just what's expected. If you've never worked in a restaurant--I'm telling you--that's exactly how it is. It's sort of inhumane, but, that's the way it is. Anyway...

Like I said, I'm not sure how this will be received, but I hope people don't think we're being greedy.

The top concern which is the first thing on the Collective Agreement is the wage roll-backs (yes, roll-back). I'm working on getting a .pdf for you guys if you're interested in reading it:

WAGES: For the ACC, 2013 we would not get the wage increase we were supposed to get when the contract expired 6 months ago. 2014 would see a 1% wage increase (0.18). For Real Sports and Elleven, the waiters/bartenders would see anywhere from 1-2 dollar wage rollback, and be frozen; never to be raised. For chefs, it's even worse. They would see anywhere from 5-7 dollar roll-back. Yes. If they were making 18 dollars an hour, they could be reduced to 11, and the next wage increase would be 30 cents in 2 years! Unbelievable.

The "upside" to this, is that for (1) one year, they would take your respective cut, and pay you a lump sum. Now, if you're not planning on being with the company for long, that sounds not so bad right? And that's how MLSE works. They use that as a crutch to turn people inside the camp against each other. But the lump sum isn't that much. For waiters it's roughly $1200 BEFORE taxes.

This doesn't include things that already exist, the union is trying to acquire, but MLSE denied giving it to us. Things like:

No wait-staff ever get to see the bill for large corporate functions. They do this so we can't prove how much gratuity should go to the wait staff. There was a grievance held last year at the ACC, where the union discovered MLSE pocketed $40,000 of gratuity money, that should have gone to their workers. If you need clarification on that I can ask my union representative for documentation.

At this moment, we have literature that prohibits MLSE hiring outside staff to continue functions should a strike ever occur. The new deal wanted to change that, where they could in fact do so. This is important. This would effectively render any strike in the future by MLSE workers null and void. Business would carry on as usual, and nothing would be affected. They could offer worse and worse contracts as the years go on, and we really would have no choice but to accept it.

However, while Real Sports and Eleven are closed, MLSE hired outside staff for the ACC anyway. The amount lost with no concessions opened is larger than what they will have to pay the lawyers by this breach in the contract. That is also noteworthy, as this says a lot of how important their wait-staff is to running the MLSE empire.

That's it for now. I have to go now, as I will be down by the ACC picketing today in these wonderful temperatures.

Thanks for listening.

Go Leafs Go.

EDIT as of 12:15am Sunday, 15 December

Wow. I am absolutely floored by all the support. A HUGE 'thank you' to everyone that supports this and has our backs. The fight has just started, but it's nice to know we have roughly 80% of the city's support on this. That's terrific!

Today went well. We got to talk to a lot more people, and we connected on a personal level and we got to explain to people what was going on. I would say 9 people out of 10 supported us greatly. So that's great!

Tomorrow's a new day, and we'll be back at it.

Thanks again everyone, for your kind words and support. Together, we'll reach an agreement and get back to work, serving the team we love.

And what a win tonight!

GO! LEAFS! GO!

I see the MLSE strike isn't getting much press. Just wanted to let /r/toronto what's going on, if you're interested... : toronto

[Bendit]

Sympathetic...but what is your union representation doing about it?

And whats with the "Go Leafs Go" sign off?....on a Raptors site? The writer has the typical Leaf centric blinders on. I suggest someone do a re-write of the note and approach this on making more of an economic case (compare profits with specific wage comparison in the industry). Yes, MLSE is a private holding so details would probably not be forthcoming but this is where your union should be helping.

Good luck.

[Darien]

Have you considered contacting another media source like the Toronto Star for more coverage? Or are they owned by Rogers too?

[RaptorsFan4Life]

Sympathetic...but what is your union representation doing about it?

And whats with the "Go Leafs Go" sign off?....on a Raptors site? The writer has the typical Leaf centric blinders on. I suggest someone do a re-write of the note and approach this on making more of an economic case (compare profits with specific wage comparison in the industry). Yes, MLSE is a private holding so details would probably not be forthcoming but this is where your union should be helping.

Good luck.

That second post is from /r/Toronto on reddit. The first one is from /r/raptors. I don't work for mlse. I am just quoting the person who does.

If you guys have questions msg the person on reddit or post under one of the source threads.

[Nilanka]

MLSE probably realized that finding replacement staff capable (and willing) to pour beers and distribute popcorn, is an easy task....

That's the beauty of a free market. If you don't like what you're getting paid, you can always look elsewhere.

No sympathy from me.

[Gorlitzer]

MLSE probably realized that finding replacement staff capable (and willing) to pour beers and distribute popcorn, is an easy task....

That's the beauty of a free market. If you don't like what you're getting paid, you can always look elsewhere.

No sympathy from me.

Lemme guess... you voted for Rob Ford.

[Nilanka]

Lemme guess... you voted for Rob Ford.

I live in the 'burbs, where Rob Ford was an unknown until he became an international punchline....

[stooley]

MLSE probably realized that finding replacement staff capable (and willing) to pour beers and distribute popcorn, is an easy task....

That's the beauty of a free market. If you don't like what you're getting paid, you can always look elsewhere.

No sympathy from me.

Sadly, I mostly agree. Unless there's some evidence of mistreatment.

[Uncle_Si]

Lemme guess... you voted for Rob Ford.

So what if he did vote for Rob Ford? What does that have to do with anything. His point is perfectly valid and right. You are worth what the free market says you are worth. Unfortunately for many people right now their are more people looking for jobs than their are jobs available . You have very little footing to negotiate. Just look at the condo market in Toronto, prices are leveling off and dropping in some cases because of excess supply.

Stomping your feet and pouting will get you no sympathy from me. Ya MLSE is rich and they are built on the people in the company. As such MLSE and the market puts a price on that value. If the workers feel undervalued fine. Quit. No one is forcing you to work there. If enough people leave maybe MLSE will Re evaluate. As of right now I'm sure many people on this forum and many people in Toronto would love to have the opportunity to work for MLSE, maybe even work for less than they could get somewhere else. So be it. Like it or not that's where we are today. In the future you will have more bargaining power but as of right now I don't see much. It's a matter of timing and where the markets are. I understand the usefulness of a Union but I also understand that no matter what the unions demand it's the markets in the end that have the last say.

[stooley]

So what if he did vote for Rob Ford? What does that have to do with anything. His point is perfectly valid and right. You are worth what the free market says you are worth. Unfortunately for many people right now their are more people looking for jobs than their are jobs available . You have very little footing to negotiate. Just look at the condo market in Toronto, prices are leveling off and dropping in some cases because of excess supply.

Stomping your feet and pouting will get you no sympathy from me. Ya MLSE is rich and they are built on the people in the company. As such MLSE and the market puts a price on that value. If the workers feel undervalued fine. Quit. No one is forcing you to work there. If enough people leave maybe MLSE will Re evaluate. As of right now I'm sure many people on this forum and many people in Toronto would love to have the opportunity to work for MLSE, maybe even work for less than they could get somewhere else. So be it. Like it or not that's where we are today. In the future you will have more bargaining power but as of right now I don't see much. It's a matter of timing and where the markets are. I understand the usefulness of a Union but I also understand that no matter what the unions demand it's the markets in the end that have the last say.

This is a tricky subject. I have a lot of experience re:unions and studied them for several years. On one hand, without them you run the risk of great depression type abuse, on the other hand there are so many new labor laws in place that unions may actually be outdated entities.

[Nilanka]

Sadly, I mostly agree. Unless there's some evidence of mistreatment.

If there's evidence of mistreatment (and evidence of MLSE trying to cover it up), that would be a very serious issue and I would most definitely side with the union. But until there is such evidence, I'm going to assume there is no foul play.

At the end of the day, these are people who willingly chose to refuse money. I can't support that.

[stooley]

LOL however much I enjoy these discussions, this thread has gotta be closed or moved to a different forum