Street Cast, Stunt Show, and others Underpaid by ORF Inc.

If you have worked / Volunteered or are working / volunteering for the Ohio Renaissance Festival Inc. there appears to be a very good chance you are entitled to your share of a large sum of money without so much as a civil law suit needing to be filed. In fact, the State of Ohio wants to hear from you NOW!  You should get the money you deserve for every hour you have ever worked for the Ohio Renaissance Festival.  Unfortunately, the State of Ohio only seems interested in the last 2 years.  So if you worked during this time period, it seems like every day you do not file a complaint is another day that falls outside of that 2 year time period.

Steven Ballard with a division of legal council for the State of Ohio, has asked that we direct you to he following URL so you can contact them, fill out a form, and probably receive compensation.

http://www.com.ohio.gov/laws/MWOTComplaint.aspx

It is our understanding of the law, that you are entitled to $10.50 compensation for each and every hour you worked and maybe more. Additionally, you may entitled to moneys from a separate Civil suit. Please stay tuned to this protest site for developments with a potential Civil suit.

From an email from Steven Ballard

Division Legal Counsel - Ohio Department of Commerce - Bureau of Wage and Hour

“I looked at the web page referenced in your email to Joanna. If you know of any current or former employees who wish to file complaints for failure to pay minimum wage for hours worked in the last two years, please direct them to our web site, from where a complaint form can be printed out. It would be likely the festival is exempt from overtime, but not from minimum wage.”

Group Negotiations

After receiving this request from the State of Ohio, we decided we should offer to address the other labor related issues quietly and without further protest. Persons claiming to be employed by the Ohio Renaissance Festival Inc. have contacted us privately about many matters in addition to minimum wage. It is our hope that the Ohio Renaissance Festival Inc. will recognize that group negotiations, guilds, and unions exist not only to insure that the rights and liberties of its employees are not ignored, but to prevent employers from violating matters of State and Federal law which often lead to severe penalty and mandated compensation. We firmly believe such Unions benefit both the Employer and Employee.

If you are or have worked and / or volunteered at the Ohio Renaissance Festival and would like to participate in this process, please write to press (at) orfprotest.com

An open letter to Cheryl Bales (ORF Inc. General Manager) and other key
ORF Inc. management:

CC: 
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I have been asked by Steven Ballard of the State of Ohio to inform ORF
Inc. employees of their rights and how to file complaints against the Ohio
Renaissance Festival for not paying the Ohio Minimum Wage.  The subjects
he was addressing included Street Cast, Gate Guard, Stunt Show Actors,
other Actors, Food Services, and  perhaps even the people who have been
contracted via 501 c not for profit organizations. I would like to meet
with these groups such that I can provide them with the legal documents
and forms necessary to file a complaint and seek the compensation
guaranteed to them under Ohio labor law.

Additionally, I have been asked by persons claiming to be in your
employment to address other issues they have with the Ohio Renaissance
Festival.   I assure you the wage complaint is not their only concern.

Although the minimum wage issue has been included in the public protest of
the Ohio Renaissance Festival, we assure you there are many other labor
issues which have not yet been publicly addressed.  We would like to meet
with you to discuss these other matters quietly and without a public
spectacle.  If you would like to avoid further protest on these matters,
please accept this offer and begin the process of causing the work force
at the Ohio Renaissance Festival to be treated properly.

Thank you.