A group of civic minded residents are researching city "living wage" ordinances around the country. The list of cities and counties that have passed such ordinances is growing fast. Last year, popular support for low wage workers even resulted in an amendment to the Florida Constitution. Overcoming large corporate employer propaganda, some equating the proposal with the three hurricanes that hit Florida in 2004, 72% of Florida voters succeeded in raising the minimum wage a full $1 over the federal minimum wage to $6.15 an hour. Local interest in living wage issues was evidently sparked by the allegedly callous behavior of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! management towards the employees of its recent acquisition - the 53 year old St. Augustine Sightseeing Trains company (red trains). Assurances made by Ripley’s Entertainment, Inc. in March of 2004 before the City Commission now seem to have been designed to secure the transfer of the city franchise from the Trains former owner, local native son A. H. Tebault. These assurances were later echoed in company meetings with employees: more opportunity, better working conditions, job security, health benefits and pensions.

In October, just in time for the holiday season and with no explanation or time to prepare, fulltime licensed city guides and ticket sellers were informed that their hours were cut to part-time status and all their benefits had been terminated. To add to this injury, it was learned that this cut did not affect administrative staff’s pay or benefits.

Also, an abortive attempt was made to rehire some employees for their lost time through an employment agency, Spherion, as "independent contractors" — possibly to get the benefit of their experience without having to pay them overtime or provide benefits.

Believe It!: Ripley’s Internal Memo
In an internal memo to all train employees dated October 26th, Elaine Fraser, general manager of the St. Augustine Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Museum and the Sightseeing Trains, claimed that "misinformation" in the Collective Press editorial (http://www.collectivepress.org/LW/broadside1.html) and the Folio Weekly article of 10/25 (http://www.collectivepress.org/LW/bion1.html) have made it so that Ripley’s cannot utilize Spherion[‘s]" employment services. There was no explanation of what this "misinformation" was or what the link there was between news media coverage and lost opportunities. Ms. Fraser, possibly to her credit, goes on to offer help in getting additional part-time work at the long established attractions owned by her family, the Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse and the Fountain of Youth. What a strange and bizarre situation. A business that ran fine under local ownership is now owned by one of the richest men in the world, Jim Pattison, and a native born local manager feels obliged to ask her family’s help in band-aiding the poor decisions and practices of her billionaire employer.

Canadian Billionaire And Son Respond
Jim Pattison, Sr. is at the helm of the third largest privately held company in Canada, with interests extending from car dealerships to billboards to grocery stores to entertainment and, at least once in the past, pornography distribution. They were at least at one time the bete noir of some Canadian feminists - (see http://www.rapereliefshelter. bc.ca/herstory/rr_files84.html). With $4.7 billion in annual sales, some call Pattison Holdings the "Wal-Mart of Canada."

On Halloween, a telephone call was placed to Jim Pattison, Sr. of Pattison Holdings in Vancouver, British Columbia, to question the 107th richest man in the world about the situation with Ripley’s and the Sightseeing Trains. Pattison said, "I am not familiar with that — health care in Canada, the country does that — you pay for it through your taxes. The person to talk to is the president of the company — his name is Bob Masterson... Why don’t you call the president of the company? I don’t have any answers. I’m not familiar with [St. Augustine labor issues]. This is the first I’ve heard of it."

A call and message to Mr. Masterson of Ripley’s Entertainment, Inc. in Orlando that owns 50 tourist attractions in ten countries, got me a hang-up call shortly thereafter. The name "Ripley Enterprises" was on my caller ID at 2:17 PM on Halloween. Believe it!.

Later in the day, Jim Pattison, Jr., executive vice president of new business for Ripley’s called and stated that Ripley’s and the Sightseeing Trains "never intended" to use independent contractors. He blamed reduction in employee hours to recent "storms" and the "market." The elimination of employee benefits was "very unfortunate" and "news to me." How could it be? He himself discussed it with FolioWeekly. "I don’t expect anything good to come out of this, "and then proceeded to ask financial questions about the Collective Press. Believe It!

As to declining wages and real incomes and how many jobs people in St. Augustine should be expected to work to support themselves, Jim Pattison Jr. said, "I don’t know the answer." Lou Dobbs of CNN says it best: there is a "race to the bottom" on labor rights in our country.

Support the Sightseeing Train Workers
The people whose lives have been hurt by a Canadian billionaire deserve our support. The billionaire was apparently kept in the dark until our Halloween call to him. This begs the question of just who is in charge and responsible for this deplorable situation. The St. Augustine City Commission must issue an Order to Show Cause why the license should not be taken away. Under President Franklin Roosevelt, the New Deal made workers rights to organize and bargain collectively part of the social contract. For 72 years, employers have attacked those rights, effectively destroying them, especially in the South. Misguided organizations like our local Chamber of Commerce brag about how 99.8% of the workers in St. Johns County are non-union (as if that were a badge of honor). As Henry Ford knew, low wages are not a good thing -- underpaid employees can’t afford to buy the products they sell and make, which causes an economic death spiral.

Robert Kennedy said in South Africa in 1967, "Each time a [person] stands up for an ideal, [they] send forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples can form a current that can wipe out the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance." The ripple effects of Ripley’s rip-off of its employees could help raise living standards for all employees in this city. President Kennedy said, "a rising tide lifts all boats."

As Tip O’Neill said, "all politics is local." Anyone interested in helping to explore the "living wage" issue can email LivingWage@collectivepress.org or write The Collective Press, P.O. Box 668, St. Augustine, FL 32085. Comments on this editorial or anything appearing in The Collective Press may be emailed to themail@collectivepress.org •

Speak out for the workers! Contact your commissioners or Jim Pattison, Sr. and Pattison Group: 1067 W. Cordova St., Ste. 1800, Vancouver, British Columbia V6C 1C7, Canada Phone: 604-688-6764, Fax: 604-687-2601 • http://www.jimpattison.com Contact Ripley Enterprises, Jim Pattison Jr. and Bob Masterson: 7576 Kingspointe Pkwy. #188, Orlando, FL 32819 • Phone: 407-345-8010 407-257-0901 (Bob Masterson’s cellphone); Fax: 407-345-0801 http://www.ripleys.com