Dodgers Agree to Pay Employees, But Rift with Game Day Workers Remains
On Monday, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that “more than half the teams in the league” agreed to pay team employees through at least the end of May while the 2020 season remains up in the air. As MLB commissioner Rob Manfred remains optimistic some form of a season will happen, there are still variables and hurdles to work through.
Noticeably absent from Passan’s list were the Dodgers. That changed on Friday when Orange County Register scribe Bill Plunkett reported the club joined the masses.
#Dodgers will join the majority of MLB teams and notify non-playing employees today that they will continue to be paid through May 31.
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) April 24, 2020
This relates to persons employed by the team and on payroll, not outside operations such as concessions workers and the like. However, those outside operations folks will be receiving payment as part of a greater support plan agreed upon by all 30 MLB teams in March. Unfortunately, that payment was a source of discussion online this week.
LA Times reporter Bill Shaikin shared this information on Twitter on Wednesday.
Game-day workers not employed directly by the Dodgers (for instance, concession workers employed by Levy) are in line for a one-time payment of $350. https://t.co/RGUXmq6neB pic.twitter.com/ZDcSgazyXN
— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) April 22, 2020
Yes, Dodgers event staff, concessions, parking, cleaning personnel employed by third-party contractors, as well as LA Dodgers Foundation event staff would apparently receive up to $750 for a one-time payment.
Understandably, this was met with heavy criticism.
I’m employed direct by Dodgers so I’m gonna be balling out with my $750 ?? what a joke…last of all the baseball teams in CA to announce the worst program smh..would’ve made $750 first two games of season
— Thor (@thorthunder24) April 22, 2020
For an organization that charges $25 for a michelada and had nearly 4 million fans come to games last season alone, to see $350-$750 as a one-time payment is a headscratcher. Still, a business can’t continue to pay out its employees in a more lucrative manner while it stands to lose billions of dollars this season.
It’s a terrible catch-22 where no one can come out on top feeling great. And money will sadly remain a huge issue for everyone during this shutdown.
