Bay Beach has to reduce hours due to staffing shortage

For anyone else wondering, they're offering $13-$14 an hour which isn't terrible.

Amazing how the pandemic has shifted "fight for $15" to "you won't find employees unless you START at $15."

Have to wonder how much of this is also population shift driven. Wisconsin overall is loosing population in the under 18 age group, and that group is typically what is employed at Bay Beach. That may be a part of the challenge as well as the dollar amount.

$13-$14 "wasn't terrible" in the before times. But to ask someone to work outside in the elements with an ever agitated general public for a seasonal position that ends after when the park closes for the season when you can make significantly more at an indoor job that isn't going to end in October/November - unless you have an interest in the industry I can understand.

This may be the theme of the summer. I'm curious to see how all the parks are going to make out.

Staffing shortage based on the fact that they aren’t paying enough.

fixed it for them

Maybe they can find a way to market the jobs to seniors. As we know from Dollywood, Silver Dollar City, Little Amerricka and Knoebels they make some of the best park employees.

CreditWh0re said:

Staffing shortage based on the fact that they aren’t paying enough.

fixed it for them

Exactly. These businesses want to play victim and cut hours and services from customers because they won’t pay enough to get workers. They are just using it as an excuse to shorten hours for more profits.

Except that's not what's going on here, because the park is operated by the city. It only has to break even, and there's no Scrooge McDuck swimming in his money. Many rides were at least partially possible because of donations, and their roller coaster was built with municipal bonds that haven't yet been paid off. Building it was controversial at the time. Tickets are 25 cents, and the coaster requires four tickets.

Sometimes a thing is just a barely tenable operation and not the result of greedy bastard corporations.

Another important note about Bay Beach is that not only is it run like a Scrooge park, but the place is immaculate. The Tilt-A-Whirl looks like brand new and get's put to sleep under tarps every night. The coaster is super-smooth and runs efficiently; the lawns are nearly perfect and it seems almost everyone is either happy or relaxed. And they have a giant racing slide, unheard of for decades at big parks. This place is a slice of heaven.

Jeff said:

Sometimes a thing is just a barely tenable operation and not the result of greedy bastard corporations.

Thank you.

Everyone loves the free market until Labor wises up.

Jeff said:

Except that's not what's going on here, because the park is operated by the city. It only has to break even, and there's no Scrooge McDuck swimming in his money. Many rides were at least partially possible because of donations, and their roller coaster was built with municipal bonds that haven't yet been paid off. Building it was controversial at the time. Tickets are 25 cents, and the coaster requires four tickets.

Sometimes a thing is just a barely tenable operation and not the result of greedy bastard corporations.

It is, though. It's still not enough pay to attract workers which means the market has spoken. Cope.

And as someone that has to hire at these inflated wages and find a way to cope, my way to cope is going to be to pass the increased cost back onto you.

Cope.

FWIW, when the Zippin Pippin opened in 11 years ago they were advertising starting rate for ride ops at $8.25/hr. The ride prices were exactly what they still are today.

Vincent Greene said:

It is, though. It's still not enough pay to attract workers which means the market has spoken. Cope.

Context, dude. I was responding to his assertion that it was about profit. It's not. I made no comment about the market dynamic.

> my way to cope is going to be to pass the increased cost back onto you.

For anything that is a discretionary purchase---and amusement parks are definitely in that category---there is a limit to how far one can take that. At some point, I'll decide that this whatever-it-is isn't worth that to me, and I'll stop buying it.

There certainly might be some parks that will not survive in the age of $15/hr, but that's because what they offer didn't deliver a whole lot of value to begin with. Maybe that's sad, maybe it's not.

This is related to something else on my mind but I've got to run, and will come back later.

Lord Gonchar said:

And as someone that has to hire at these inflated wages and find a way to cope, my way to cope is going to be to pass the increased cost back onto you.

Cope.

Inflated. Nice perspective and awareness of current market values.This is why workers aren’t showing up to these jobs. Bet you’re horrible to work for.

Only as horrible as you are to employ.

Looks like some folks need to work on their coping skills