Bruins Owner Jeremy Jacobs and his family have established a $1.5M fund for "part-time game-day employees affected by the NHL’s stoppage amid the COVID-19 pandemic," according to Matt Porter of the BOSTON GLOBE. In a Saturday morning statement, the family pledged to help those who “will be financially burdened if the six remaining regular-season Bruins games are not played." That "apparently means help will only be available if the NHL decides to cancel the rest of the regular season." The league as of March 12 is "pausing play, not canceling games," and it "could be months before the NHL resumes play." The Bruins were the "last NHL team to inform their hourly workers about a compensation plan" (BOSTON GLOBE, 3/21). In Boston, Marisa Ingemi noted Saturday’s statement came "two days after Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey spoke with the Herald and urged TD Garden and Bruins ownership to act." TD Garden workers are "concerned with the timeline, because it might take weeks for the NHL to announce if those six remaining games will be canceled" (BOSTON HERALD, 3/22).
UPDATE ON MSG WORKERS: In N.Y., Stefan Bondy reported MSG "still hasn’t committed to pay concession workers for the remainder of the shutdown." Union officials "had been negotiating with MSG as recently as Friday." But a source said that MSG "has only pledged to continue making healthcare contributions to workers who are eligible for the company’s plan." MSG also has "vowed to pay workers until March 29, and only certain workers until April 5." Sources indicated that after that, there is "no commitment from MSG for at least the concessions and cleaning staff" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 3/21).
