If this happened our industry would go out of business... read this

[wickedfarmer]

I pay my staff $10 an hour too. A few get a little more who are part of set up crew. People we are at maze from 1 pm till closing get a good home cooked dinner as well and we dont bother to clock them out for their 15 -20 minute dinner time. Dinner is what you would think of as a farmers dinner, chicken or pork loin, crock pots full of mashed paotatoes, baked beans, sweet corn from garden. And before you ask yes my wifes cooking helps in employee retention. For a few guys those are about the only home cooked meals they get all week. Haunt has 20-25 actors, 3or 4 parking lot security, 6 maze cops so non family payroll is $350 an hour.

Don't worry about the $22 rate...aint happening.


Wicked Farmer

[austind]

I think some times they just say something crazy like $22 just so when they pass a $12 min. people will thick how lucky they are not have to pay $22. Its just a game to them and we are the we are their puppets.

Phatman

[NightmareAftershockLLC]

Obviously these folks suggesting this rate have never taken an economics course.

[Jim Warfield]

So then instead of 20 employees you drop back to 10 or even just 8, will this make your haunt safer? No. Will it make it easier for vandals to wreck your place during business hours? Yes.
Having cameras everywhere looking at every nook and crannie is worthless if one person has to watch numerous screens.
There has to be a certain number of employees with eyes, ears and legs to find and address any developing problems before they escalate otherwise owners are at the mercy of whatever walks in the door.(and then refuses to leave!)
My place is not just seasonal, so I can make people wait to come in , sometimes.....

[NightmareAftershockLLC]

Regardless, an increase of minimum wage does nothing for anyone. Lol

[Jim Warfield]

25 yrs. ago when my admission was $2.00, my biggest competition was the $5.00 can of beer bought illegally from someone old enough (hence the $5.00 investment.)
The actual "Cost" of live entertainment also has to include some of the expenses of travel to arrive and return. The price of a gallon of gas , ex cetra plus money for incidentals like a pop or burger and admission.....
Working 30 hrs at 8$ might make the decision for a great many to stay home so they can buy groceries instead.

[hacksaw the clown]

im from ma,she isn't calling for 22 an hour,she is simply stating that if the min wage increased with the cost of living it would be around 22 per hour. honestly,who can live off min wage at its current rate.i pay my guys 10-12 per hour.like the old saying goes..pay peanuts and get monkeys

[Deathwing]

im from ma,she isn't calling for 22 an hour,she is simply stating that if the min wage increased with the cost of living it would be around 22 per hour. honestly,who can live off min wage at its current rate.i pay my guys 10-12 per hour.like the old saying goes..pay peanuts and get monkeys

Not totally accurate. At Knotts they hardly paid anything. Most acors work very hard and deserve a lot more than they get but they are there ebcause they want to be there whether it's $7.50 or $12.50 an hour. It's not a job you work just to do I think you are into this sort of stuff, horror, legitimate acting, costumes, etc and that's why they are there regardless of pay rate. Those people you're paying 12 would do it for 8 because they are IN TO it.

Jake

[austind]

Who really pays min wage. Our McDonalds are paying $10 around here. The haunt industry has enjoyed the fact that people don't act for money but for the passion of being a haunt actor. How many of your actors have good paying jobs and do this for fun. I know a lot of professionals that do it for the love of the scare and being able to bring out a alter ego they can't show in thier every day life. It's nice to roll play and pretend in a world of political correctness that we now live. If people said the things they say as a actors in real life they would have 100 personal protection orders against them and be in jail.

As far as pay goes there is such a split in paying actors out there it's incredible. Sub-contract, volunteer, or paid. Everyone has thier own opinion on this and there is no right answer for the industry as a whole. That is not a subject that we can resolve on a forum setting.

As far as $22 dollars hr min wage they are playing games, if they put $22 out there and get people scared, they feel when that when they pass $10 to $12 we will think how lucky we are it's not $22. Just like taxes, at our current tax code the US will take in more tax revenue in 2013 than ever in history and we will feel good about it even if they still take a small raise in taxes, thinking we dodge a bullet. They play the game of puppet master and we just go along for the ride.

[hacksaw the clown]

knots berry farm id like to think of as the exception.in new England,especially Massachusetts,min wage is 8.25 after deductions..alot of people wont get out of bed for that rate and I cant blame them at all. again,22 an hour isn't the rate she was calling for,she was simply stating that if min wage has kept up with inflation and the obscene profits big business makes then it should be 22 an hour. it makes sense actually.try supporting a family on 22 an hour in boston is tough never mind 8.25 that's just a joke