Belleayre Job Cuts

Belleayre Ski Center told job cuts are coming

Published: Tuesday, November 16, 2010

By JAY BRAMAN JR.
Correspondent

HIGHMOUNT — Belleayre Mountain Superintendent Tony Lanza delivered bad news today to ski center employees.  Lanza said he told staff members that top officials of the state Department of Environmental Conservation have directed him to make “substantial cuts” to the workforce.

Article from the DailyFreeman.com

This is unfortunate. Cutting part time and seasonal workers making a small hourly wage will really go far in balancing the NYS budget. Maybe it is cheaper to pay these workers unemployment. I wonder if somebody did that analysis.

Waitaminute. How can you lay people off before the season even started? Are they on the payroll all year? Contract workers? Maybe this is a good reason to look again at state hiring practices and policies, if state ski area workers are somehow assured part time jobs every year - that's not how it works for most private ski areas.

Seems like we go through this same song and dance every year, with rumors of draconian cutbacks. Last season, Belleayre seemed to be running as well as always. The one cutback that affected us personally was the fact that they pulled the plug on the daycare facility. Not good.

From the ATU. Thanks to fahz for the link:

http://blog.timesunion.com/stateworker/state-layoffs-his-snow-country/1057/

From Harvey's link:

"It’s not even the start of the ski/snowboard season, but we hear that 48 of 58 year-round employees at the state-owned Belleayre ski center have received notices that they could  be laid off at the end of the year.

“That is full-time year-round staff,” said one of those affected, explaining that they’ve heard the state may try to rehire some of the people as seasonal employees in time for the ski season"


Now, c'mon. 58 full time year round employees??!! This we shouldn't be sad about. WTF were they doing from April to December? Oh sure, a little maintenance there, a little tree clearing there, but, really, 58 people? Full time? This is why our state is going, nay, some say is, bankrupt. The only justification is workfare in depressed mountain areas with no other jobs available. If that's justification.

Reminds me of my ex wife's first husband, (who was actually a cool guy, I found out too late) who was a NYC lifeguard. He was promoted to a managerial position, not too high, but was paid 65 grand a year (in 1994), all year, and barely had a thing to do from Labor day to Memorial day. He spent all winter teaching skiing at Hunter. He was an excellent skier, if a little old school. Funny, couldn't ski powder worth a lick, though. But, i digress.

I don't see why these State ski areas can't be self sustaining like all the other resorts. Maybe Belle is just making this move as a way to cut pay expenses - lay off the permanents, then rehire them as seasonal at reduced wages with no benefits or retirement.

Bennie is right about NY State employment. Things are out of whack in New York. 10 months ago, they instituted a hiring freeze for State workers. Since then, they've hired 11,000 workers, quite a few @ over $100,000 per anum.

Worse yet, the 9.5 billion deficit that held up the State budget being passed for months last summer seems to have not been resolved. Meaning the next few months will be interesting.

Oh well....Party On New York.

"Maybe Belle is just making this move as a way to cut pay expenses - lay off the permanents, then rehire them as seasonal at reduced wages with no benefits or retirement."

Well, yeah, I hope so, just like any ski hill manager out in the private world. But, you brought up something I was curious about - are these people actually getting NY state pensions, too??  Dear Lord. Where did I go wrong in life.

More from the ATU

http://blog.timesunion.com/stateworker/200-gather-to-support-belleayre-mountain-workers/1168/

The  Kingston Daily Freeman reports that more than 200 supporters showed up Monday at a rally for the employees of Belleayre Mountain Ski Resort. 48 of the resort’s 58 year-round employees received pre-layoff notices a few weeks ago, and their year-round jobs will be cut to lower-paying seasonal positions. The rally was intended to remind everyone (politicians included) of the nearly 30-year struggle to keep Bellayre open, to show community support for the resort, and to emphasize the importance of the resort to the regional economy.

“While they’re sitting up in Albany eating drumsticks, we are here in the Catskills rubbing two sticks together to try and just pay the bills,” [Shandaken Town Supervisor Robert] Stanley said.

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They had some TV news coverage of that event. One of the Belle workers spoke up and said Belle is self-sufficient, i.e. it makes more money that it consumes. " IF " that is true, they should let them stay a the higher wage rate. That would also help support the area's other jobs.

I wouldn't be one bit surprised if Belle takes in more than it spends, with no Fed or State Income tax to pay, no local tax burden, no Sales Tax to pay  and no mortgage or capital improvements costs to pay, Belle should be much more profitable than the private ski areas.

We will need to keep that ^^^ in mind if the Axe Man ever looks at Gore as a " financial burden ". Just sayin.

Any State recreation entity that actually generates cash should be protected, even nurioushed.

I'd be very surprised. especially with the previous employee count with costs. C'mon, drive up to any ski area in the country that has no summer activities, and tell me what's going on. Nuthin'. And, I'm pretty sure, the ski biz is like most other - the highest cost is labor. Energy is a close second, but, really, what are those people doing for six months to justify the expense?

You know, I'm a perfect example of someone that NY state should invest in if they want to maintain some sort of an economy in the mountains. I love skiing, I have a little nest egg, I have lived upstate and like it, and I am looking for a place to, you know, spend my end game, but, this state is very low on the wish list, because of this stuff. Problem is, and, I'm predicting headlines over the next decade or so, is that there is no way to correct this mess of overpaid public pensions because they are locked in beyond the Supreme Court. So, whatever, go west, old man. Powder's better, at least.