MILWAUKEE — Service and hospitality workers near Fiserv Forum face uncertainty after positive coronavirus tests in the NBA suspend the Milwaukee Bucks season.
Some 1,000 employees at Fiserv Forum are part of the Milwaukee Area Service & Hospitality Workers Organization (MASH). The union president says some 60% of their members have to work a second job.
"Service workers are going to be bearing the brunt of this pandemic," Peter Rickman, President of MASH, said. "Whether it's losing income from shifts being canceled or the first to catch coronavirus, service workers are going to bear the brunt of this."
Rickman is hopeful the Bucks follow the lead of teams like the Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks, whose owners have said they will work towards helping arena employees during the suspended season.
"There is no reason the Bucks and other NBA franchises all around the country can't take care of the hourly service workers," Rickman said. "They're making such large profits. Truth is, this isn't just about folks who work in an NBA arena or work in professional sports or other event-based venues."
Just outside of Fiserv Forum, a usually thriving Deer District is bracing for impact. TMJ4 News reached out to several businesses that were not able to comment but said they are meeting to discuss their future. The area within a few blocks of the arena really benefits from the Bucks.
"On game nights, we see a good amount of people come in here," Max Haglund, store manager of Brüdd Cafe, said. "I'm figuring it's going to affect our business. It's a big deal. The location within a block or couple blocks, all of the businesses around here, a majority of people are making most of their money."
"Our business will be impacted," Michael Bilton, Supervisor of Carson's Prime Steaks & Famous Barbecue of Milwaukee, said. "There is no question. We'll take it on a day to day basis here."
Bilton says they get a lot of non-Bucks traffic, but basketball games and events at Fiserv Forum play a significant role in their income.
"We're probably 100 yards away from the front door there," Bilton said. "Our business definitely goes up dramatically when there is an event at the stadium. Not having those events, pretty much is going to cut things down."
Bartender Eric Imhoff says it's on his mind. Foot traffic results in more customers, which, for him, means more tips, which make up the majority of his pay.
"I mean completely," Imhoff said. "That's the whole business. That's our whole bread and butter. It's a little concerning."
Bilton says they're in discussions of what they'll need to do if this continues. Their employees' well-being, both their health and finances, are of the utmost importance.
"This is their livelihood," Bilton said. "We're going to take every step we can to keep them as secure as possible. They have families to feed, rent to pay, mortgage, car payments, and all of the rest. We'll do our best to soften the impact as much as we can."
Over at MASH, he's hopeful local and state officials will come together for a relief plan to help these employees.
"We're calling for a service worker relief fund that would replace lost income, take care of healthcare costs and provide paid sick leave for service workers in the arena, restaurants down the street or anywhere in Milwaukee," Rickman said.
"We need policymakers to step in to create a server relief fund."
TMJ4 News reached out to the Bucks for comment on the future of the employees at Fiserv Forum, but they did not have a response Thursday.