Smashian Kassian Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/15/lightning-owner-gives-team-employees-an-early-christmas-gift/ During the lockout we’ve read enough stories about teams, and even the league, cutting back on hours and pay for their employees. One team not jumping on that bandwagon are the Tampa Bay Lightning. Erik Erlendsson of The Tampa Tribune reports team owner Jeff Vinik is getting in the holiday spirit by giving team employees an extended paid holiday vacation. 150 team workers will get from December 20 through January 2 off and not have it count towards their regular vacation time. Team spokesman Bill Wickett summed up the unexpected vacation time off nicely. “It isn’t often in the sports and entertainment industry today that the pace of business allows for this type of break and we are happy to afford our people the opportunity to share personal time with their loved ones.” On top of that, team employees are being given a $75 bonus intended to be spent on those in need during the holiday season. The lockout hasn’t been good for heart-warming stories, but this one out of Tampa is good for a case of the warm-fuzzies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smashian Kassian Posted December 19, 2012 Author Share Posted December 19, 2012 I for one am glad he is doing this, the sad part about the lockout is all the regular people who lose there jobs due to this embarrassment of a negotiation. Nice to see that someone realizes this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkeeterHansen Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Vinick has always been a classy guy. This just adds to that portrayal. Feel good story, for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xbox Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Wow. That is amazing ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hockeyville88 Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 That's really great! This year the holidays must be a tough time for people who depend on the NHL for their livelihood. Anyone from arena staff to team staff to media to equipment and jersey producers to bars and restaurant owners are being affected by the lack of hockey. I hope that these types of gestures are being made by more that just the Lightning to make sure that the fallout is minimal for all these modestly paid workers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SterlingArcher Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Id give my workers a pay cut and buy myself a Ferrari. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil_314 Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 kudos to the owner of the Lightning! Sure they're billionaires but not every owner has the heart to do this kind of stuff when he's not making any money due to the lockout Id give my workers a pay cut and buy myself a Ferrari. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlayStation Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Thats great! Hope the best for the Lightning franchise as far as revenue. +1 Karma to him! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jägermeister Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Wait, I thought all owners were money-hungry scum of the earth? I have a lot of reconsidering to do... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UFCanuck Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Bettmans not earning a salary during the lockout. Why dont all 29 owners chip in and each pay a portion of his 2012-2013 Salary. It will be a Christmas miracle for the Bettman household. I mean its the least they can do for Gary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Common sense Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 I suppose Vinik knows where his bread-and-butter employees come from, and how this lockout's affected them. Good on him and the franchise for doing this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russ Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Thats great. All of the teams should be doing that, its a small price to pay for everyone who does all the work behind the scenes and never get recognition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WHL rocks Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 This gift will pay back in spades. This will give the Ing and Vinick more positive media attention than he could have bought with same amount of money on a marketing campaign. good business decision. Optics are great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostsof1915 Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Bettmans not earning a salary during the lockout. Why dont all 29 owners chip in and each pay a portion of his 2012-2013 Salary. It will be a Christmas miracle for the Bettman household. I mean its the least they can do for Gary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harbinger Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 So if it was salaried guys that's great. If they are hourly guys they just got hosed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mauii Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Good stuff. That's awesome. Doing some proactive damage control. Boss of the year in my books! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russ Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 So if it was salaried guys that's great. If they are hourly guys they just got hosed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markus Alexander Cody Posted December 21, 2012 Share Posted December 21, 2012 What a great thing to do! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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