In Letter To Arena Staff, Phoenix Suns Say They Will Pay For Two Hours Of Work Up Front With Opportunity For Full Pay Later

As the NBA navigates the aftermath of Commissioner Adam Silver’s decision on Wednesday to suspend the league’s season, the Phoenix Suns this weekend notified arena staff of the team’s plan to pay them.

In a letter e-mailed to staff on Saturday morning, Suns Sports and Entertainment General Manager Ralph Marchetta ensured part-time and hospitality staff who were scheduled to work canceled March events would be paid up front for two hours of work. “April schedules will not be determined until more information becomes available,” the statement said.

Events scheduled for March at Talking Stick Resort Arena, which the Suns own and operate, included two home games on March 18 and 21, as well as Disney On Ice shows that were planned for March 12-14. Concerts for artists such as Post Malone and Marc Anthony were scheduled for March 15, 17 and 22, in addition to more throughout April and into the summer.

A team source told me staff scheduled for all postponed or canceled events in March will be ensured the opportunity to work the events once again, when and if they are held at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The same source also told me compensation for the two hours of work referenced in Marchetta’s letter will be given when the events were scheduled, and those who were scheduled for more than one shift will receive pay equal to two hours per shift.

To be clear, the Suns own and operate Talking Stick Resort Arena. Marchetta works for the Suns organization, serving as GM of sports and entertainment services in addition to vice president of ticket operations, according to the team’s website.

Prior to the postponement of the NBA season, the Suns also had home games on the calendar for April 3, 5, 11 and 15. Silver said in an interview on TNT this week the league is targeting at least a 30-day hiatus. “We don’t know enough to be more specific than that,” Silver said. Reports indicate the league is expecting to be on pause until May 1, if not later.

This week, both LiveNation and AEG suspended all of their concerts through the end of March, though Kory Grow of Rolling Stone reported their hope is to resume by April. As an example, the Foo Fighters’ Van Tour is put on by LiveNation and scheduled for April 5 at Talking Stick Resort Arena.

Marchetta’s statement does not go so far as to guarantee payment for these March concerts, nor does it provide a template for what staff can expect come April, considering even a one-month hiatus would push resumption of the NBA season past each of the Suns’ three previously scheduled games. Regarding April events, a source said, in concurrence with the letter, “we will have to wait and see.”

Shortly after Silver put a pause on the NBA schedule, the NBA G League followed suit. A source close to the Northern Arizona Suns, the team’s G League affiliate, said the organization is still working out a plan to pay part-time and hospitality staff.

The Northern Arizona Suns’ situation is different than with Talking Stick Resort Arena, as the G League team is simply a tenant of the Findlay Toyota Center in Prescott Valley. The city owns the building, while Spectra Experiences is its operator. NAZ had home games scheduled on March 11, 14 and 22.

No one from Spectra had been made available at the time of this article’s publication for comment regarding the company’s conversations with the Suns.

Across the NBA, teams are giving large sums of money to take care of employees. Golden State Warriors players, owners and coaches pledged $1 million for arena staff, while New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson promised to cover the pay of all arena workers for 30 days. The tenants of Staples Center — the Lakers, Clippers and the NHL’s Kings — reportedly will create a joint fund of $5 million for Staples Center staff.