BUFFALO
Shovelers come to blows over pay
Buffalo police were called Saturday to help keep order outside a Delaware Avenue employment agency, where dozens of angry workers lined up to get their paychecks for shoveling snow recently at Ralph Wilson Stadium.
Several police cars responded late Saturday afternoon to Next Day Staffing Service, a temporary employment agency at 430 Delaware, where people were lined up in the cold for three hours or longer waiting to be paid.
As the line grew, workers grew nervous that they wouldn’t get their money. People got testy and started pushing in line and a few punches were thrown, according to some of the workers.
“It was scary,” said David Salatka, 44, of Lovejoy. “If the cops didn’t come down here, there could have been a melee. People were getting upset.”
Next Day Staffing Service — based in Maryland with a branch on Delaware near Edward Street — contracted with the Buffalo Bills during Christmas week to help shovel out the stadium for the season finale with New England.
The temp agency offered people $10 an hour for the work.
By Saturday, workers had grown disgruntled.
They were told to collect their money Friday at the stadium in Orchard Park, but were then turned away and told to show up at the Delaware Avenue office between 1 p. m. and 4 p. m. Saturday, Salatka said.
On Saturday, a sign on the storefront window alerted them that checks would be ready by 3 p. m.
“I’ve been here three hours, and I haven’t even gotten close to the door,” said James King, 50, of Buffalo.
“I’m just hoping they have the money.”
Others had picked up their checks, but returned to the office because they tried to cash them at local stores and were denied.
Demetrius Reyes, branch manager of Next Day Staffing Service, assured the workers the checks were good and encouraged them to cash them directly with Bank of America, the company’s bank.
Reyes said the checks were delayed because of the New Year’s Day holiday, and the company had to ship them on Saturday.
Reyes said he had to pick up the checks from the airport and didn’t get back to the office until 3:30 p. m.
He said he summoned police to keep order.
“A lot of people wanted their money,” Reyes said, “and I don’t blame them; my check was in there, too.”
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