KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1 maintenance workers at Worlds of Fun, Oceans of Fun, and Worlds of Fun Village voted to authorize a strike after months of unsuccessful contract negotiations.
According to SEIU, the contract expired on Feb. 29, 2024, and impacts the maintenance workers who build, maintain, repair, and conduct daily inspections of the roller coasters, flat rides, and other facilities at the Kansas City, Missouri, amusement park.
SEIU Local 1 spokesman Luisangel Rodriguez told KSHB 41 News they don't have an exact number of workers going on strike due to recent personnel changes.
The union said that Local 1 members have met with management over 36 times to come to a contract agreement that addresses understaffing issues.
Other issues include demands from Six Flags that Local 1 workers allow their work to be subcontracted out to non-union workers, changes to job duties, and that the union reduce the scope of their work, including removing some job duties and entire positions from the union and allowing them to be performed by non-union workers.
Local 1 members have also filed charges against Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, which merged with Cedar Fair L.P. in July, for alleged violations of federal labor law, including bad faith bargaining and regressive bargaining on retroactive pay.
The union said the company tentatively agreed to pay the maintenance workers retroactively in February, but management is now backtracking.
According to the union, maintenance workers have reported their concerns to management over the last two years.
Workers who repair and maintain rides claim many issues are caused by worker understaffing as well as a refusal to order parts in time.
Worlds of Fun sent KSHB 41 a statement Friday.
Worlds of Fun is disappointed the union has decided to negotiate in public. We will continue to negotiate in good faith to arrive at a fair and equitable agreement. Our relationship with the union spans many productive decades without a work stoppage. We are fully prepared to continue operations for our guests. The safety and security of our guests will continue to be our number one priority.
Local 1 workers said in a press release that their proposals will improve guest satisfaction and increase health and safety for workers and guests at Worlds of Fun.
“My colleagues and I are fighting for a contract that is fair for every single Maintenance worker at the park and will positively impact the guest experience,” Worlds of Fun lead carpenter Kyle Wedlock said in a release Thursday. “During the 2024 season, the park and guests experienced multiple issues that would’ve been less likely to happen if the park was properly staffed. We are trying to handle these issues at the bargaining table, but if that isn’t enough, we are ready for direct action."
Local 1 members will hold a rally at 2:45 p.m. on Oct. 8 at the entrance to Worlds of Fun, located at 4545 Worlds of Fun Ave., to share their concerns and discuss the possibility of a strike pending ongoing contract negotiations.
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