Worlds of Fun workers say staffing, maintenance budget leading to ride shutdowns
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Maintenance workers at Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun are calling out what they call serious issues that are negatively impacting guests.
Service Employees International Union Local 1 says parts aren't being ordered to properly maintain rides and staffing issues are leading to rides being closed.
It comes just days after Mamba riders had to walk down from nearly the top of the popular roller coaster. The theme park, however, says the union's claims are a bargaining tactic in ongoing contract negotiations.
Christina Milburn was an annual passholder at Worlds of Fun until what she describes as a scary incident on the ride Sea Dragon last year with her niece.
"She didn't want to do it, I pep talked her. We got on and low and behold when the brakes started engaging we heard this weird noise like a pop noise," she described.
Maintenance workers and/or ride operators reportedly told guests the brakes wouldn't engage which meant approximately 20 minutes of back and forth motions on the ship according to Milburn.
"My niece was depending on me like is everything going to be OK? She's 6, so I'm like everything is going to be OK, but I didn't know it was. I didn't know if it was going to stop."
She's still in a Facebook group with passholders.
"Here more than late it's been nothing but incidents and maintenance problems and safety concerns," she said.
Those concerns also shared by the SEIU Local 1 representing 90 maintenance workers at the parks whose contract expired in March.
A release issued by the union Thursday says workers have reported concerns about food and beverage services, a lack of standard heat mitigation for workers and guests and rides being down. All which it says have sharply increased this season.
'We believe if they had better staffing and better pay frankly or would agree to some of our living wage proposals, that they would be able to have less downtime with the rides and make sure they are going so they'd have the experience they paid to receive when they showed up," Chris Rak, SEIU Local 1 State Director, said.
Worlds of Fun released the following statement Thursday: "As a longstanding Kansas City institution, Worlds of Fun has held a lasting commitment to providing competitive wages and benefits to all of our associates. Over the past few months, we have bargained in good faith with SEIU representatives, listening carefully to their ideas and concerns while outlining the opportunities and challenges we face in our business. Over the course of our 40-year relationship, we have held many successful and beneficial negotiations. It is unfortunate that SEIU leaders have chosen to make our negotiations public in an effort to garner public support. We are committed to providing competitive wages and benefits to all associates. We remain focused on reaching a fair and equitable agreement."
Brian McGannon, Worlds of Fun Public Relations and Communications Manager, also addressed last weekend's shutdown of Mamba with riders on board. He said it wasn't a maintenance issue, but instead the result of a safety feature that was activated.