Down to Their Last At-Bats : Laid-Off Stadium Workers Hope to Be Back in ’97 Lineup

As the Angels played their final home game of the season Wednesday, many stadium employees wondered if they would ever work at the Big A again.

Disney Sports Enterprises, which as part of its purchase of the California Angels in May will assume management of Anaheim Stadium on Tuesday, has interviewed but not promised jobs to the more than 700 part-time city employees who work as ushers, parking lot attendants and ticket sellers.

Also uncertain about their job prospects are 500 food vendor workers: Disney has not said whether it will renew the contract of their employer, Ogden Management Services. A Disney spokesman said the decision will be made in the next few months.

Layoff notices went out to all full-time and part-time workers two weeks ago, but the 35 full-timers, who work in the stadium maintenance division, have since been told they will either have jobs at the stadium or within the city government. Nine workers have been retained at the stadium, several workers interviewed said, but Disney would not confirm the figure.

The fate of the part-time workers will be decided sometime before January, when the next events are scheduled at the stadium. The city will place part-timers not retained at the stadium on the top of a priority list for other positions, but there are no guarantees, officials said.

The uncertain employment prospects left many food vendors and part-time city workers baffled over their future.

“This is kind of a hard day,” said 54-year-old Regina Melia, who has worked at the Potato Hut stand for 10 years. “We’re all saying goodbye because we don’t know if there will be a next year.”

Said 55-year-old Fran Dunlap, who works at an ice cream stand: “The uncertainty has caused unrest, lots of rumors, and is stressful to a lot of people. [Disney] must have some idea what’s going on. It would be nice to have more confidence about our jobs.”

Jerry Berberich, 71, who has poured beer at the stadium for a decade, said he’ll “try desperately” to keep his job.

“It’s a great place to work,” said Berberich, a retired restaurant manager. “But I admit I’m a little worried. I think I’m too old for Disney.”

No matter what happens, at least one part-time city worker says he’s not coming back.

“It’s too stressful not knowing,” said 76-year-old John Carney, an usher. “And besides, I’ve been here nine years. My feet hurt.”

Another usher, Leonard Jones, 59, is less concerned about his employment at the stadium because he also works part time at UC Irvine.

“I want to stay here, sure,” said Jones, who has worked at the Big A for four years. “I love this job. But I’m most upset right now over the Angels’ (69-88) record.” The team is in last place in the American League West.

The city has hired Fox-Morris, an executive search and recruiting firm, to help any laid-off employees with job hunts, a Fox Morris official said.

Meanwhile, some full-time workers who will leave their stadium positions for other city jobs, mainly in maintenance, were cleaning out their lockers Wednesday.

Gary Discher, who has worked at the stadium for 18 years, planned to take two weeks of vacation in Minnesota to “get away and think good thoughts.”

Such thoughts were difficult for Dan Dominguez, a maintenance supervisor. He packed one box, stuffing in it a wooden plaque with a picture of Angel pitcher Jim Abbott, former Angel Nolan Ryan and former Angel coach Jimmie Reese posing together.

“I remember when the Seattle Kingdome had the tiles fall from the roof [in 1994],” Dominguez said. “It was 11 p.m. and I was in my car. All I heard was that a stadium had been damaged. I drove right to Anaheim Stadium to make sure it was OK. I would like to still be working here.”

Also contributing to this report was Times correspondent Bonnie Hayes.