Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (SFDK) Discussion Thread

[DJeXeL]

^And by "busy" you mean "tacky?"

In all seriousness, It's good they're at least switching things up. The last "show" was getting stale.

[rolercstrluvr]

It does look really busy, when I look at the picture I can't focus on just one thing.

[RAWKIN_coaster38]

Does Roar still have one train operations?

The last few times I've been to the park Roar has been on one train operations all day with no other train in sight.

There was something someone said that made me think they're gonna keep one train operation on Roar and Kong until the summer.

 

The Cirque stage does look busy, but isn't this show supposed to be at night? If so, then bright colors make sense because at night everything will look a little duller.

[Mechanic]

 

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?

[azza29]

 

I think my grandmother has a tablecloth with that same pattern.

[DarienLaker]

 

Holy floral luau, Batman! I mean whoa that way too much color and fake flowers!

Edited April 28, 2013 by DarienLaker

[jray21]

Wow, it looks like I giant flower vomited all over the stadium!

[DarienLaker]

Wow, it looks like I giant flower vomited all over the stadium!

 

I thought so about that, but it look more like a tropical garden barfed up at SFDK!

[pdcon]

All ride mechanics will be going on strike starting tomorrow, hope break downs are low or there will be some long lines.

[SoCalCoasters]

^ Has there been a reason given for the strike?

[singemfrc]

I havent heard anything about a strike at all..but if the mechanics went on strike wouldnt that prevent the rides from opening at all due to no daily maintenance or inspections being able to be performed?

[pdcon]

^ Yes, my fathers a mechanic there and he was telling me its something about them becoming union, but now that they are union they are charging them a weekly union due, but wont give them a small raise to compensate for the dues. There where more things he was telling me about it but I don't remember all the details.

 

Technically there is still 1 Mechanic, the manager is not union so he is still working. My dad also told me that they did the inspections for today's shift, so all they have to do is open the rides. But there will be nobody there tonight to inspect the 60+ rides for tomorrows shift.

 

All the mechanics will be out there today and for as long as it takes handing out flyers and what not in the front of the park.

[gisco]

^ Yes, my fathers a mechanic there and he was telling me its something about them becoming union, but now that they are union they are charging them a weekly union due, but wont give them a small raise to compensate for the dues. There where more things he was telling me about it but I don't remember all the details.

 

Technically there is still 1 Mechanic, the manager is not union so he is still working. My dad also told me that they did the inspections for today's shift, so all they have to do is open the rides. But there will be nobody there tonight to inspect the 60+ rides for tomorrows shift.

 

All the mechanics will be out there today and for as long as it takes handing out flyers and what not in the front of the park.

 

It will be interesting to see how they handle it tomorrow.

[COASTER FREAK 11]

Forgive me if I'm out of line here, but if the mechanics formed a union, the dues are part of that union. Why is it the parks sudden responsibility to compensate the employees for the union dues that they themselves created? I don't think they should be given a raise solely because they now have to pay for something they did.

[pdcon]

^ Because at first they said they would give them 6% raise for going union, but then all of a sudden backed out of it.

[gisco]

^ Because at first they said they would give them 6% raise for going union, but then all of a sudden backed out of it.

 

That doesn't make sense at all and I don't believe management would ever say that they would want their workers to join a union.

[COASTER FREAK 11]

^ Because at first they said they would give them 6% raise for going union, but then all of a sudden backed out of it.

 

That doesn't make sense at all and I don't believe management would ever say that they would want their workers to join a union.

 

What?! Something is off here. Bob is 100% right, Companies don't like unions, why would they want to have to deal with one!

[singemfrc]

The way it was posted it looks like it's the park saying: "If you agree to go union we will give you a 6% raise" but perhaps it was more like the mechanics asking "If we go union will you agree to give us a 6% raise to compensate for the dues" which they supposedly agreed to and backed out of...that would at least be plausible, though I find it hard to believe that they would agree to it.

[jray21]

I honestly don't see any company agreeing to give a raise to those that decide to go union. I wouldn't be surprised if the company was saying, we'll give you a 6% raise if you don't go union. Large companies pay tons of money to keep their workers from unionizing, I've never heard one that would reward them for becoming unionized. But, it is California, so who knows!

[Mechanic]

Offering a raise to keep them from going union would make far more sense.

[pdcon]

Like I said there was more details, to it than just that. I will try and find out more information about it. If anybody goes out to the park tomorrow let us know if it affected the way the rides are ran.

[singemfrc]

http://www.timesheraldonline.com/news/ci_23171478/six-flags-discovery-kingdom-ride-mechanics-picket-after

 

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom ride mechanics picket after lock-out

By Rachel Raskin-Zrihen Times-Herald staff writer

Posted: 05/04/2013 01:01:07 AM PDT

 

The only unionized workers at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom -- its rides mechanics -- were locked out of their jobs after their shift ended Thursday afternoon and spent Friday picketing in front of the park, union and management spokespeople said.

A park spokeswoman said the union contract negotiators left management with little choice.

 

"We have met with the union over the course of five months during which we made significant progress on a contract," Nancy Chan said. "Over the last several weeks, the union stopped making any effort toward ratifying an agreement and we were unfortunately left with no other option to try to move the negotiations forward."

 

There are unionized workers at five other Six Flags parks, she said.

 

The picketing will continue weekends until the parties reach an agreement or the park shifts to its seven-day schedule at which time the picketing would also go seven days, union spokesman Jim Beno said.

 

There are 24 mechanics at the park, represented by the Oakland-based International Association of Machinists, District Lodge 190, he said.

 

"They were locked out by the company at 3:45 p.m. (Thursday)," Beno said. "They only voted a union in about six months ago, and we've been negotiating with the company for a contract, and it was pretty amicable until discussions of wages and some training issues came up and the company took a hard line; made a take-it-or-leave-it offer."

 

On-scene union spokesman Tom Brandon said park officials

 

have created a safety issue by locking out the "highly skilled mechanics that maintain the rides within the park."

"These guys are making minimum wage for mechanics required to supply their own tools -- twice the minimum wage - and we're not sure who they have keeping the rides safe now," Brandon said. "We thought we had a deal, but then they finished their annual maintenance and rehab work (Thursday) and as soon as that was done, they locked them out."

 

The average wage of comparable workers in the Bay Area is closer to $36 per hour, he said. Chan said the park doesn't discuss such issues.

 

One mechanic was promoted to management Thursday and another worker, a welder, was certified as a mechanic, Beno said.

 

Park officials "have not and will never compromise the safety of our guests and employees," Chan said. "All of our rides are being inspected and maintained daily by highly trained and certified individuals with years of experience. Maintaining a safe environment is our top priority."

 

The striking mechanics say they're dedicated to patron safety and see their contract as a fairness issue.

 

"(Park management) are forcing us not to work," said American Canyon resident and three-year park employee Jeff Heineman, 30. "Sometimes you have to fight to do what you have to do, and I think getting the union in here is our fight."

 

Union and park officials said they're open to further negotiations and are confident an agreement will be reached.

 

"Our hope is that both sides will negotiate in good faith to achieve a mutually agreeable contract," Chan said. "In the meantime, we are prepared to safely operate the park as we normally would."

 

Though the picket line seemed to have little impact on park guests early Friday, at least one said she was concerned enough about ride safety to ask how long it had been going on.

 

"I'm worried about the integrity of the rides. That's why I asked how long they were locked out," Sarah Lenard of Camptonville near Grass Valley said. "If they'd said it was more than a week, I would have turned around. Let my kids on unmaintained rides? I don't think so."

 

Contact staff writer Rachel Raskin-Zrihen at (707) 553-6824 or rzrihen@timesheraldonline.com. Follow her on Twitter at Rachelvth.

[singemfrc]

Forgot to post this before now..saw this sign in the Medusa station a couple weeks ago. Apparently each Sunday from 4/21-8/25 a different ride will have this sign up and your State Farm insurance card will act as a flash pass for that ride on that day.

[RAWKIN_coaster38]

^I haven't seen those signs, but thanks for posting! I have State Farm, might have to start bringing my card in the park.

 

I saw the picketers outside the park yesterday. I thought they were PETA or some animal organization because there were rats on the signs. I didn't get a chance to read their signs as I was heading in the park.

 

Yesterday, I got to meet up with my good friend R.C. again and a friend of his. R.C. was my first enthusiast friend, it was great to hang with him at SFDK again!

 

–We rode Superman first around 11:45. Luckily, only about half the switchbacks were full, but we must have started something because right after we got in line, the rest of the pad filled up. I think it took us about 15 minutes before we got on, and we were placed in the front row! Still an amazing coaster. Later in the day, Superman had technical difficulties. I went back twice in the afternoon and it was still closed. This is another reason is recommend riding Superman early in the day.

 

–Roar is finally running two trains again. It had a few problems throughout the day as well, but we got one ride on it in the back. This time, it was SUPERRRRR rough even for me. It really hurt, and normally I can handle a little roughness from Roar. Me disliking Roar more this time may be related to me having ridden Gold Striker the previous day. I still don't think you can compare them, as one is twelve years older than the other. Maybe the heat had something to do with Roar being unbearable yesterday.

 

-Speaking of rough coasters, I'm no longer standing up for Kong. Still only running one train, the yellow train, but this time there was literally no bracing at all. I got some decent rides on Kong last season by bracing really well and riding near the front and in the warmer part of the day, but this time I could derive 0% enjoyment from Kong. I will not ride it again for a while, and will only ride it possibly in the other train, and maybe more toward the back.

 

-Medusa is as great as ever, and the last half hour of operation are almost-always walk on (besides the front row).

 

–Thought I lost my souvenir cup on the tram, but really had left it in the car. Refilled 3 times at the Freestyle machine, it really is awesome. You can find the Freestyle Coke machine in the candy shop to your left as you walk in the park.

 

–R.C. bought his season pass today, and we processed it midday. Walk-on processing! MUCH quicker than the 2 hour line I waited through in December.

 

Here's some photos.

 

It's 10:30 and the security line is out to the trams.

Pandemonium is finally no longer a part of our park, according to the large park map in the front, that is.

My favorite thing to do... post hella pics of the dolphin show. I went to both the 1:00 and 5:00 shows. I really think the regular dolphin show is better in this stadium than Dolphin Harbor

I almost ruined my camera for this photo. "Oh, great shot! The dolphins are so close!" *huge splash soaks me and my camera*

You can see lots of dolphins getting high if you go to Drench!

The dolphins really like to get high together

You'll see the trainers get high with the dolphins as well

You may come out of Drench! looking like this if you sit in the front row of the wet zone.

Now we take a brief look at No-Name Harbor

There are lots of blue balls in No-Name Harbor.

Lovely Painted Wall, the wall formerly known as Gum-Wall.

Don't you think you otter be somewhere else right now?

Thanks for reading!

[scooterdoug]

^^That's a nice little perk. I hope that the FlashPass privileges last the entire time from noon to 4. I went one day last year when Medusa had the same perk. However, the pass they gave me was only good for one ride. Hopefully it's for more than that this season.