CP Maintenance

Can someone who is a native to CP share what they know about how the maintenance staff functions? Do they hire new mechanics each year to fix rides? Do they allocate certain rides to certain mechanics?

I'm curious about situations such as those on MF and Dragster. The mechanics would need to be very familiar with the ride in order to effectively prevent future problems. Have the same mechanics been "fighting" with Dragster for 3 years? Is it a common occurance for ride manufacturers to get involved? Just looking for some general info for something I know nothing about.

There are certain zones I believe and the mechanics work in those zones unless there is a major problem on a ride.

There is a full-time ride maintenance staff, but they also hire some seasonal help. I believe they go through some type of apprentice program when they first hire on.

And then you join the union.............

I sent my resume to CP last year, and applied as a Ride Maintenance/Mechanic. A Mr. Charlie Elswick called and, and completed a phone interview. He advised that in my first year, I would "shadow" around a "Senior" full-time maintenance/mechanic person for the whole season. He would show me how to do the repairs, but I would actually have to attempt the repair, and eventually be able to tell him what I think is wrong with the ride. I really want to do this, but I just gotta move closer to Sandusky first. Maybe next year, I may move closer to Sandusky.

I did ride maintenance in 97 when i got hired i worked with another person no real training ,nothing hard to work on. you do have to buy your own tools,and you join the union before you start working but the union really does nothing for seasonal people.

Except take their membership dues.

.. and allow you to actually get time and a half for your overtime..

That's right, or you'd get nothing but straight time like the rest of the seasonals.

But seasonal maintenance employees don't get the bonus that other seasonals get. At least that was the case when I was there. For me, that would have been more money than the little overtime we had (usually before opening day). That may be different for seasonal ride maintenance.

Even though they pay dues, the union sees seasonals as an afterthought. That was my experience and I know that it's shared by others.

*** Edited 5/21/2005 12:43:33 PM UTC by Walt***

I did get a lot of overtime (thank-you Dragster, thank-you Millennium Force rollback) but I doubt that it amounted to more than what I would have made if I had been given a seasonal bonus.

Either way, I'm not complaining. It was a great experience.

I kept track of mine. And the bonus would have been less for me but like Walt and Richie said, it's not always that way.