What are they thinking ?!

JuggaLotus said:

Well, there if there is anyone making this rate and working for the park right now, it is a handful. The rest of you don't work there, so there is no leaving. Here is how real business works (for those of you who haven't figured it out yet).
...

That is how the real world works. You are free to look for employment elsewhere. You are not entitled to a job at Cedar Point.

Thanks. I had no idea. I appreciate your response so that I may understand how this "real world" works. Boy, I had no idea where I was living before.
I know I am not entitled to a job at Cedar Point. Actually, I'm not entitled to a job anywhere. People EARN jobs and work to earn the respect of their employer to show they are a valued member of a team.
As for being free to look for employment elsewhere, I think you can see below my post that I have found employment elsewhere. A company in the same industry that, while it does have its flaws, does work to show that it does value its employees.

I should also note that I took this job at Disney knowing I would be paid a certain rate. My rate of pay is actually low, but, like my job at Cedar Point, I'm not working there completely for the money. Yes, I need money, and yes, that is *A* reason I am working there. But there are other reasons: A better atmosphere, a company that seems to understand its guests' AND employees' needs (both areas where Cedar Fair fails greatly), a company that respects its workforce....The list goes on and on.

99er, I just caught your previous post and, while we don't completely agree on everything, I can at least respect the fact you aren't blindly standing up for the company. On that note, I'm content agreeing to disagree. ;)

BlueStreak - I saw that, and you are right. However, I stand by my comment. Until the park cuts a check that is less than minimum wage, they have done nothing wrong.

That's true that they have yet to really commit an illegal act. There is, however, the issue of having HR telling people that the pay is still $7/hr, as has been said a few times at least in the employee forum. This indicates to me no interest in paying $7.30, if HR is stating that it's $7/hr, and their official Job site says the same.

And just so that I am understood clearly, there has been ample time for the park to acknowledge the increase in minimum wage, as I believe this increase has been known to be on the books for at least a year, if not more. There is no excuse for the park to not have its materials updated for the new minimum wage.

Another point has been brought to my attention; employee contracts. Would it be illegal for them to make a contract with an employee that involves less than the current minimum wage? I believe it would be, as you are already putting the worker into a binding contract for less than the legal wage.

I think alot of people look forward to going back to CP after the winter. .. but then to hear that they will be getting paid less than all of their friends....well it just sucks. I think the turn over rate will hit a record high this year.

BlueStreak64 said:Another point has been brought to my attention; employee contracts. Would it be illegal for them to make a contract with an employee that involves less than the current minimum wage? I believe it would be, as you are already putting the worker into a binding contract for less than the legal wage.

I don't think its that binding. You can break it at anytime, just don't show up.

A contract is a contract is a contract, no matter how easily it can be broken. Sure, you may be able to consider the person entering into that contract stupid not knowing that the rate is less than minimum wage, but the fact still stands that they are knowingly creating a contract with a less than legally satisfactory wage.

Wasn't it $7.00 last year also? At least it didn't go down.

Yes it was CPBoy, but Minimum Wage was also $7.00/hr and they even had a state exemption of that minimum wage (and they still paid minimium wage). What I want to know is how anyone is sticking up for a company that clearly is showing they are not following Labor laws. Why would they list a wage crystal clear on their website under the legal wage. The only explination I can come up with is they are working out an agreement with the state to be exempt, which I don't see happening with the current administration. Put yourselves in a CP Employees shoes and think about it. Seriously, who would support a company that does these things?

CPFan10186 said:Why would they list a wage crystal clear on their website

How do we know that is not a mistake? Who's to say that the site developer entered a '0' instead of a '3'? I guess its been up for a few days but it still could possible be a mistake.

Believe me, it's 100% not a mistake. Even if it was, by now it would be changed or us employees would have gotten an email that the information is incorrect.

Should cedar point pay more than minimum wage to most of its employees? Hell no. Working at cedar point is one of the most brainless things I've ever done.

Should the employees be paid the MINIMUM wage? Yes. Thats the law.

Should the employees be treated better? Yes. When employees are told that it doesn't matter if they quit because they can always find more it only tells the employees that they're essentially worthless to the company. That makes people work just hard enough not to get fired. At cedar point, thats less work than you need to do to graduate from elementary school.

lladnar said:
Should cedar point pay more than minimum wage to most of its employees? Hell no. Working at cedar point is one of the most brainless things I've ever done.

Should the employees be paid the MINIMUM wage? Yes. Thats the law.

Should the employees be treated better? Yes. When employees are told that it doesn't matter if they quit because they can always find more it only tells the employees that they're essentially worthless to the company. That makes people work just hard enough not to get fired. At cedar point, thats less work than you need to do to graduate from elementary school.

You know, I agree with everything you've said except for that first point. If you consider your safety-related job brainless, remind me to stay away from Ripcord and Skyscraper.

Again, as I posted in the other thread about this, Cedar Point is doing nothing illegal. The new min. wage law was voted in by voters in Nov. of 06. The original law did get rid of the exemption. Then in Jan. of 2007 right before former Gov. Bob Taft left office, he put the expemtion back in... it was one of the last things he did before leaving office. Here is the link...

http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070103/NEWS24/701030436/-1/NEWS

and it was also talked about to death after it was repealed on coasterbuzz here...

http://coasterbuzz.com/news/9144/amusement-park-workers-exempt-from-minimum-wage-increase-in-ohio.aspx

As much as it might suck, you do have the option weather to work there or not. But word of advice, there are no other companies that have 5,000 job opening for this summer, summer job will be hard to come by ANYWHERE.

That law was overturned by Strickland. Call the Ohio Department of Labor and ask them and they will tell you Cedar Point is no longer exempt from any wage laws except for not having paying seasonal employees overtime.

and when did that happen, can't find any info on it in any of the state law websites. All that is has is where the exemption was written into law. I am pretty sure Cedar Fair knows what the labor laws in Ohio are, as well as the state's own website!!!

If you look, other than the PDFs, a lot of info was supposedly updated in 2007 or earlier from what I have been able to tell. Beauracracies (sp?) move slowly, updates can be expected even more slowly.

http://www.myemploymentlawyer.com/serendipity/archives/29-guid.html
I think this is the info you wanted to see..

Edit

The Newest Poster...
http://www.com.ohio.gov/laws/docs/laws_MinimumWagePoster2009.pdf

kirk06 said:

You know, I agree with everything you've said except for that first point. If you consider your safety-related job brainless, remind me to stay away from Ripcord and Skyscraper.

You think buckling a seatbelt is difficult? How about pressing a button? Cause thats all they do. Even if you are paying NO attention, you can't mess anything up.

NON-TIPPED EMPLOYEES

TIPPED EMPLOYEES
A Minimum Wage of
(as of January 1, 2009)
includes any employee who engages in an occupation in which he/she customarily and regularly receives more than thirty dollars ($30.00)
per month in tips from patrons or others. The tips are proven if indicated by the employee's declaration for the purposes of the federal insurance contribution act.
than the regular minimum wage of $7.30 prescribed by law.
OVERTIME (ORC 4111.03) HANDICAPPED RATE (ORC 4111.06)
STATE OF OHIO
MINIMUM WAGE
KIMBERLY A. ZURZ
Director
" includes any employee who does not engage in an occupation in which he/she customarily and regularly receives more than thirty
dollars ($30.00) per month in tips from patrons or others.
who gross under $267,000.00 shall pay their employees no less than the current Federal Minimum wage rate.
under the age of 16 shall be paid no less than the current federal minimum wage rate.
, it is $7.25 per hour.
A Minimum Wage of

$7.30 per hour (as of January 1, 2009)