ORLANDO, Fla.,None — The NBA lockout seems to have already hit part-time staffers hard at the Amway Center.
WFTV found out on Wednesday that the city of Orlando cut dozens of ushers, ticket takers and security guards.
An Amway Center employee told WFTV reporter Kathi Belich that the cuts were a shock.
The Amway Center's Executive Director Allen Johnson said that even though the NBA lockout is keeping the state of the arena empty, that's not the reason for the cuts.
The city said about 70 part-time seasonal workers have been cut loose because after the first year in the building, the city has been able to reassess its needs.
"In some cases we needed maybe to shift bodies into another area. In some cases we had too many bodies. So it was an evaluation of our overall operation and how we could be most efficient," said Johnson.
A letter that went out on October 26 informing the part-time security guards, ticket takers and ushers that their one-year contracts have expired and will not be renewed.
Two companies, Andy Frain and Spherion, already provide the same services at the Amway Center, but until now there were city workers who worked side-by-side on the same jobs.
The city suggested the city workers could apply with the private companies.
A former employee, who did not want to be identified, said those jobs pay less and would be even less secure than the city job turned out to be.
"I don't think they should have sent a letter. I think they should have actually had us come in and talk to us about it or at least give us some warning. It was just so sudden," said the former employee.
The city kept about 72 of its part-timers who work the Amway Center events.
WFTV
