Hello Everyone,
I came across something disturbing that I want everyone to know about. I read an announcement that Shuto Con posted online about changes in how volunteers are treated. You can read the full announcement in the Midwest con Sub Forum called Shuto Con 2016 announcement.
The government (Don't know if it's federal or state) is cracking down on Anime / Cosplay conventions and perhaps other types of cons as well about how volunteers are treated at these cons. In my opinion the definition of a volunteer is a person who gives up their time and efforts freely for a special cause or event. Conventions are considered to be a special event.
What the government is forcing cons to do is pay the volunteers as if they were workers. They would be paid at least minimum wage. I'm very upset about this change. I volunteered at Star Trek conventions for years and did not get paid. For me the sheer joy of helping to run the con and interacting with other staff, guests, and other convention attendees was worth it for me. Not once did I think of being paid for something that I freely enjoyed doing.
The Government think that it's not right for workers / volunteers at conventions to not get paid. So they are beginning to force conventions like Shuto Con in Lansing, Michigan to start paying their volunteers. Please take the poll and comment on what you think about this issue.
PS - Also in my Opinion everyone should have the right to choose what they want to do. Being a Volunteer is a choice. It's not a job that you go to day after day, It's participating in an activity that you enjoy for a weekend. The government has gone too far.
Anime Conventions: The Global Connection
A guild dedicated to sharing/discussing conventions, cosplay, anime, and manga from across the world
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