What are they thinking ?!

Cedar Point has resorted to paying their employees UNDER state minimum wage. Minimum wage in Ohio is now $7.30 per hour worked.

Sorry, but this is a big slap in the face to them. I know they work hard, and now the company is paying them what they think they are worth.

This is such a bad company move. They are going to lose a lot of GOOD returning employees.

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I'm sure they will hire some great employees this year... Who doesn't want to work for under minimum wage?

Source: cedarpoint.com/public/jobs/benefits/index.cfm

After all -- You get what you pay for right? Sometimes you need to invest money, to make money.

1 - Minimum wage does NOT apply to seasonal workers. Don't like it, take it up with your state representative.

2 - Who is government to decide what workers are worth? Working as a seasonal worker, you don't need a living wage, just beer money.

Yet another bad call by the park.

I used to work at the park, and I know how hard they work you. This IS just a slap in the face for the employies.

JuggaLotus said:
1 - Minimum wage does NOT apply to seasonal workers. Don't like it, take it up with your state representative.

Actually, you're wrong on that, at least on the state level. It was new last year in Ohio. Seasonal amusement workers (agricultural as well) are no longer exempt from the minimum wage rate in Ohio. Now under the federal minimum wage law, yes, seasonal amusement workers are still exempt. I just posted a short outline and quick search on this in the following topic.
http://www.pointbuzz.com/Forums/Thread/23667.aspx?page=3

Also, here is an interesting blog article to read with a lot of the law posted verbatim for you to read.
http://www.myemploymentlawyer.com/serendipity/categories/9-Ohio-minimum-wage

What are THEY thinking?

"$7.00/hr PLUS the $.35 cent/hour bonus is actually MORE than the minimum wage (by .05 cents an hour) so why in the world would we have ANY problems hiring?

AND...if that isn't ENOUGH...we are going to pay $1/hour bonus during the Bonus Weekends which ends up being $.70 cents an hour MORE than the minimum wage. They should feel freaking FANTASTIC about this bold approach to compensation."

(And, it isn't so much what THEY are thinking vs what HE is thinking.)

What are the kids going to be thinking?

"Wait, you want me to come work at the park AND pay for crappy housing so that I can make $.30 cents/hour LESS than minimum wage? Hmmm...that is a good one."

What are THEY going to be thinking come March? "Dang...we need more employees from Lithuania!"

douchebaggery removed... watch yourself... -J

I won't be surprised if there are even more foreign employees next year, that rate has been increasing every year for as long as I can remember. But from what I recall last season, even the foreigners are getting disgusted with the low pay.

Plus, look at this through the eyes of the typical person who is looking to apply at CP. Someone who probably doesn't know anything about working there. They aren't going to know that you often work 60+ hours a week at CP. They are just going to see that the pay rate is less than minimum wage, laugh, and then apply at McDonalds or something instead.

They won't get many employees from the UK.... Everything costs twice as much there as it does in the US. (Gas works out to be around 8 dollars a gallon when you convert it).

As a result the Brits are wise to this. Bring on the Eastern European Girls!!!!

Easy on Jugga...I think he was posting the thoughts of "THEM".

Actually, what HE (Dick) is thinking is,

"You know, working at CP is a priviledge. I worked here for $2.80 an hour and I LOVED it. Heck, I stayed in Cedars too and there isn't anything wrong with that place."

Now, to be fair, Disney pays their entry level folks $7.35/hour. But, they also have numerous other benefits including affordable health care. This isn't a Cedar Point thing so much as it is an industry thing.

But, the bonus actually used to BE a bonus. Now, the bonus just allows you to earn what you SHOULD have been earning all along. It is cheap and it is the Kinzel way.

^ From what I've heard from Castaway Bay employees, CF does now offer a low cost health insurance option to those people and are considering extending it to all the seasonal employees. Not that I'm trying to defend them or anything here.

CP_Obsessed_Freak1987 said:

Do us a favor, don't post again.

Wow. Dude. Them's fightin' words. All he did was give a possible reason for what's going on. Chill, brah.

Stop. Think about this. They are breaking a wage law. There is no denying this. The bonus is not included as part of your wage because if you quit or have to leave the job at any point that bonus is gone. If you think they are still exempt think again, the exemption was thrown out last year. If you have any doubts go ahead and call the Ohio Department of Labor, who also stated that amusement parks and seasonal employers are no longer exempt from offering less than minimal wage to employees. I will expect Cedar Fair to be getting a call from the State very very soon.

Do you really want all the good employees to be replaced with foreigners? Good luck having hard working crews and fast moving lines if that's what you really want. This could cause problematic for Cedar Fair and Cedar Point if they follow through with this.

Hey, you make a ton of hours so it kind of makes up for the pay.

That's like saying "You get paid less than minimum wage, work 75 hours a week and don't get overtime pay... but you get a ton of hours so it's ok." Clearly missing the point. They are still breaking the Law.

CPFan10186 said:Stop. Think about this. They are breaking a wage law. There is no denying this.

You are absolutely right. Why on earth would Cedar Fair ever bother checking into what they are and aren't allowed to do legally. Silly Cedar Fair. I bet they make decisions all the time that are law breaking.

Do you really want all the good employees to be replaced with foreigners?

Good is a far stretch. And the sad truth is that most of my internationals that worked for me, were way harder working then those who came from the surrounding states.

99er said:

CPFan10186 said:Stop. Think about this. They are breaking a wage law. There is no denying this.

You are absolutely right. Why on earth would Cedar Fair ever bother checking into what they are and aren't allowed to do legally. Silly Cedar Fair. I bet they make decisions all the time that are law breaking.

Well they did get nipped by OSHA last year on safety violations so I guess that statement could be interpreted as VALID.

99er said:

CPFan10186 said:Stop. Think about this. They are breaking a wage law. There is no denying this.

You are absolutely right. Why on earth would Cedar Fair ever bother checking into what they are and aren't allowed to do legally. Silly Cedar Fair. I bet they make decisions all the time that are law breaking.

I sense your sarcasm, but really are you denying that this is indeed true. The Department of Labor person who was called was interested in why Cedar Point would even consider $7.00/hr an option. They are breaking a LAW which would be even more costly then giving employees Minimum wage to begin with. Stick up for employees, we run the park. Without us where would you be? Yes we can be recycled, but returners are becoming more and more scarce and being replaced with some workers I wouldn't trust running a roller coaster.

Jay, ya got me there:)But I think this might be a little different since they are putting it out there for everyone to see.

Well CPFan, one could say that Cedar Point has only posted what the employee's would make. Is that illegal? Because they haven't started actually paying anyone that wage yet.

IvyRose-MissX said:
Hey, you make a ton of hours so it kind of makes up for the pay.

You might at the beginning or end of the summer. I knew people in merchandise that had THREE days off a week. I didn't know anyone besides blue tags that worked much more than 40.

Not to mention, thats how sweatshops work.