2023-03-27-minutes-ec-study-session

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Kittitas Valley Event Center STAFF REPORT Meeting: Event Center Study Session, 3/27/2023 Topic: Fair Worker Wages Summary The Event Center would like to implement a two-step Fair Worker wage scale to incentivize and reward returning workers. Returning workers need minimal training, are generally more productive than new hires, and act as trainers and leads for other Fair Workers. The two-step wage scale would be structured as follows: STEP 1 STEP 2 $15.74 $16.25 a New hires. • Returning workers in good standing who do not • Returning workers who had a gap in service have a gap in service. (worked on year, skipped a year, then worked the next year). o Returning workers who are eligible for rehire with a new application (means their work at the previous fair was unsatisfactory, but not to a int where we would not hire them Background Fair Workers are paid the WA State minimum wage. There is no monetary recognition for Fair Workers who return to work year after year, unlike other temporary/seasonal position at the County. The ideal number of Fair Workers that KVEC needs each year is 62. The minimum number of staff they could live with to remain operational during Fair is 50. For the last two years we've employed between 44 and 48 Fair Workers. Recruitment for these positions has become increasingly difficult. This puts an enormous strain on regular KVEC staff who are already running in all directions during Fair. It also means bathrooms go uncleaned for longer periods of time, lines get longer with fewer ticketing staff, parking lots become increasingly chaotic without staff to direct traffic, etc. Analysis Returning Fair Workers make up about 37% of the total employee group. Assuming KVEC recruits 62 Fair Workers (the ideal number) and 37% of those are returning workers, the total cost of wages and benefits would be: Current method (all employees earn min. wage) $53,546 Proposed method (two-step wage scale) $54,038 Total budget impact $492 Not necessarily quantifiable, but there is potential lost revenue from patrons who have a luke-warm or negative experience at the Fair, choose not to return the next year, and spread that message to others. Do not want to create a reputation that our Fair is unorganized, untidy, etc. Conclusion/Next Steps Provided a $0.51 wage increase to returning Fair Workers has a reasonably low budget impact with potential benefits in recruitment and retention. KVEC requests Board approval to implement a two-step wage scale for Fair Workers.