Jazz C Rudy Gobert pledged to donate $200,000 to part-time employees at Vivint Smart Home Arena following his positive coronavirus diagnosis, but some of those employees this week "received an email that their upcoming paychecks would include their hourly wages for only 'actual hours worked' during the March period," according to Andy Larsen of the SALT LAKE TRIBUNE. There are over 800 part-timers who work at the arena, though Larry H. Miller Sports & Entertainment "has not released plans to pay employees or support them" for events not taking place. LHMSE also has not "announced how they'll use Gobert's $200K donation." The company right now "remains in assessment mode, but appears to be focused on job placement for their part-time employees, rather than subsides" (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 3/19).
SILENCE IN BOSTON: In Boston, Marisa Ingemi reports the Bruins are the only NHL organization that has yet to announce financial support plans for their game-day staff, and the team's "silence on the matter has been deafening for many who work at TD Garden." Neither the Bruins organization nor TD Garden owners Delaware North "returned messages seeking comment" yesterday, five days after an original statement released last Friday and "more than a week after many employees worked their final shifts of the season at the Garden." Garden workers said that they had been "advised to seek unemployment benefits, and they are looking for some kind of update from Delaware North so they can plan ahead" (BOSTON HERALD, 3/19).
COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE: In Miami, Anthony Chiang notes the Heat and AmericanAirlines Arena announced they will be "providing disaster relief assistance to team and arena part-time employees." They also will "provide funds to their partners, including food and beverage concessionaire (Levy Restaurants), security (Contemporary Services Corporation), and housekeeping (Pritchard Sports and Entertainment) to assist workers during the coronavirus shutdown." The Micky & Madeleine Arison Family Foundation will "donate an additional" $1M to the Miami Heat Charitable Fund at the Miami Foundation (MIAMI HERALD, 3/19).
ONE STEP AT A TIME: MSG has sent a memo to event employees, including those who work home games for the Rangers and Knicks, informing them that they "would be paid through March 22." Beyond that, MSG event employees "remain unsure of how or if they will get paid." The workers are "essentially being paid for an additional week and a half" (Westchester JOURNAL NEWS, 3/19).
