Disney not subject to Anaheim’s ‘living wage’ ballot measure, judge rules - OCR/SCNG

[Vegas Disney Fan]

The bigger story is why Marlene Hackett after 13 years is still working a minimum wage job at Disneyland. Why hasn't she acquired better skills and moved on to other careers?

I was shocked she was already making $21.25 for selling churros. That’s pretty good for a job that takes about 15 minutes of training.

 

[SuddenStorm]

I was shocked she was already making $21.25 for selling churros. That’s pretty good for a job that takes about 15 minutes of training.

And, that job paid $12/hr back in 2019. It got bumped up to $15ish around the end of 2019.

That's almost doubling your pay in the last four years of work (well, 2.5 years of work if you count the year the park was closed).

 

[Phroobar]

And, that job paid $12/hr back in 2019. It got bumped up to $15ish around the end of 2019.

That's almost doubling your pay in the last four years of work (well, 2.5 years of work if you count the year the park was closed).

After 13 years why isn't she running around wearing badly fitting khakis pants as a low level manager? Working as a minimum wage cast member was never intended to be a career. It was intended as a summer job or money for a student while they go to school. Don't give me that better quality, customer service professional, making "magic" lines. At the end of the day, she is selling charros which is NOT a marketable skill.

 

[Phroobar]

Was there every a time a frontline Disney CM made enough to support a family?

I get housing and cost of living is much more now, but why stay in a job that isn't helping you meet your needs.

Even these increases can't be enough to make these jobs viable beyond a college/teen job.

Here is a statement from a unknown person that inside the magic decided to quote.

“I have been working for Disneyland for almost 28 years and I make less than $20 an hour. If I didn’t have my husband to help with the bills and other life expenses, I would be living out of my car, or worse, homeless. Disney has increased admission tickets, food & merchandise has increased too. Yet, the front of line ‘Cast Members’ are struggling to pay their mortgage/rent, groceries, transportation and other daily/monthly bills. I am not asking to get rich by working for Disney, but I am asking for fair pay for fair work. I expect to be able to not worry, to not stress, about having food to eat and a roof over my head,” a Disneyland Cast Member of 28 years said.

https:///2022/04/disney-cast-members-underpaid-pay-gap-study-finds-ab1/

I call BS.

 

[CaptinEO]

The only chance Disney changes their wages is if they have no other option and can't find staffing. Until then a zero chance of Disney offering a livable wage.

I feel for anyone struggling to get by. I once worked for a themepark but thankfully moved onward.

 

[SuddenStorm]

The only chance Disney changes their wages is if they have no other option and can't find staffing. Until then a zero chance of Disney offering a livable wage.

I feel for anyone struggling to get by. I once worked for a themepark but thankfully moved onward.

Part of the issue is that what's livable varies from person to person. I prefer living with roommates- it helps keep me social- I just want my own room. I don't have a spouse or kids.

So my living wage is different than someone who has a couple kids and is a single parent.

But does that mean Disney should pay them different then they would (hypothetically) pay me? Assuming our availability and quality of work is the same?

 

[CaptinEO]

Part of the issue is that what's livable varies from person to person. I prefer living with roommates- it helps keep me social- I just want my own room. I don't have a spouse or kids.

So my living wage is different than someone who has a couple kids and is a single parent.

But does that mean Disney should pay them different then they would (hypothetically) pay me? Assuming our availability and quality of work is the same?

I agree, living wage isn't a defined thing. Also increasing minimum wage jobs usually just makes the cost of living increase as well to scale with it.

At the end of the day it can't be the Disney company or McDonald's fault that major cities have had very high cost of living increases in the last few decades. The jobs are most definitely for high school and college students trying to get a start/work experience.

The days of people making their park job a career are long gone.

 

[asianway]

Here is a statement from a unknown person that inside the magic decided to quote.

“I have been working for Disneyland for almost 28 years and I make less than $20 an hour. If I didn’t have my husband to help with the bills and other life expenses, I would be living out of my car, or worse, homeless. Disney has increased admission tickets, food & merchandise has increased too. Yet, the front of line ‘Cast Members’ are struggling to pay their mortgage/rent, groceries, transportation and other daily/monthly bills. I am not asking to get rich by working for Disney, but I am asking for fair pay for fair work. I expect to be able to not worry, to not stress, about having food to eat and a roof over my head,” a Disneyland Cast Member of 28 years said.

https:///2022/04/disney-cast-members-underpaid-pay-gap-study-finds-ab1/

I call BS.

I’m not sure I could afford to live in Anaheim on $150k

 

[Californian Elitist]

It is absolutely possible to live in Anaheim making 150k a year.

 

[Phroobar]

An employer will pay you based on the value of your skill or knowledge. The less people who have your skill set and knowledge, the more you are worth. That is how capitalism works. If you have no marketable skills then your are paid little for your work since anyone can do it. If you want to be paid more, become more valuable to an employer.

 

[Disney Irish]

Part of the issue is that what's livable varies from person to person. I prefer living with roommates- it helps keep me social- I just want my own room. I don't have a spouse or kids.

So my living wage is different than someone who has a couple kids and is a single parent.

But does that mean Disney should pay them different then they would (hypothetically) pay me? Assuming our availability and quality of work is the same?

You don't pay people differently for a living wage, but you can pay an average. That is essentially what minimum wage was suppose to be, minimum wage needed to live, but it never kept up with cost of living and productivity. Obviously that minimum wage can and should be adjust by regions, but if adjusted for cost of living and productivity we'd have at least a federal minimum wage of something like $21.50. That is a whole lot different than the current paltry federal minimum wage of $7.25, and still more than the current CA minimum wage of $15.50, and still more than this measure's $18.50.

So you as a single person with roommates would obviously benefit more than a family, but it would at least give them a chance.

Now personally I think along with a living minimum wage we should have price controls put in place. So that way cost of goods and services aren't outpacing wage growth, as they typically do now, which would actually benefit everyone not just those earning a minimum wage. Because what good does a minimum wage do if costs just keep going up without any regard for those that earn the least. And would actually keep inflationary/deflationary forces in check. But that is a different topic for another day.

 

[Consumer]

Minimum wage should be abolished.

 

[celluloid]

After 13 years why isn't she running around wearing badly fitting khakis pants as a low level manager? Working as a minimum wage cast member was never intended to be a career. It was intended as a summer job or money for a student while they go to school. Don't give me that better quality, customer service professional, making "magic" lines. At the end of the day, she is selling charros which is NOT a marketable skill.

A tank of gas for the average vehicle was never meant to cost an entire day of your pay either. Things change.
Major theme parks, even in part time make it so you have to have more availability, and unpredictable availability to go to school with.

Full time Students can't give the hours to Disney that Disney wants. So things had to change.

 

[Disney Irish]

Minimum wage should be abolished.

Only if its replaced by something else that can ensure employers pay a fair wage, such as trade unions or similar. Some developed countries have done that, but there is always something beyond just the "free market" to ensure there is a minimum wage established. You'll never get a completely "free market" no minimum wage system, just won't work.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

Minimum wage should be abolished.

It should have been tied to inflation, because it wasn’t tied to anything it’s now just an arbitrary number.

When I started working in the late 80s minimum wage was $3.85, that’s around $10-11 today adjusted for inflation. We are way below that at $7.25 but ridiculously above that at $15 and even worse at the new rallying cry for $20.

The “meaning” of minimum wage has changed also, it’s never been a wage meant to support a family, I have no idea where people have gotten that idea, it was a starting wage for low skill jobs that prevented employer abuse, that was it.

 

[SuddenStorm]

You don't pay people differently for a living wage, but you can pay an average. That is essentially what minimum wage was suppose to be, minimum wage needed to live, but it never kept up with cost of living and productivity. Obviously that minimum wage can and should be adjust by regions, but if adjusted for cost of living and productivity we'd have at least a federal minimum wage of something like $21.50. That is a whole lot different than the current paltry federal minimum wage of $7.25, and still more than the current CA minimum wage of $15.50, and still more than this measure's $18.50.

So you as a single person with roommates would obviously benefit more than a family, but it would at least give them a chance.

Now personally I think along with a living minimum wage we should have price controls put in place. So that way cost of goods and services aren't outpacing wage growth, as they typically do now, which would actually benefit everyone not just those earning a minimum wage. Because what good does a minimum wage do if costs just keep going up without any regard for those that earn the least. And would actually keep inflationary/deflationary forces in check. But that is a different topic for another day.

So in this case, Disney is already paying the stated $21/hour- yet it's said to not be enough. What is an average number that would be enough to make the 13-year veteran churro artisans happy?

Because as far as I can tell after watching this the last few years- is that there's a rallying cry for higher pay, they get it, then the cycle starts all over- all under the argument of a 'living wage' which seems to be an elusive imaginary number. Which is fine- everyone wants more money- but eventually there has to be some internal reflection where you decide to gain some marketable skills and switch jobs to something with a higher pay scale. Staying in the same entry level job your entire life and expecting to be able to improve your standard of living is a fool's errand.

 

[Disney Irish]

So in this case, Disney is already paying the stated $21/hour- yet it's said to not be enough. What is an average number that would be enough to make the 13-year veteran churro artisans happy?

Because as far as I can tell after watching this the last few years- is that there's a rallying cry for higher pay, they get it, then the cycle starts all over- all under the argument of a 'living wage' which seems to be an elusive imaginary number. Which is fine- everyone wants more money- but eventually there has to be some internal reflection where you decide to gain some marketable skills and switch jobs to something with a higher pay scale. Staying in the same entry level job your entire life and expecting to be able to improve your standard of living is a fool's errand.

As I mentioned that living minimum wage can and should be adjusted by region. So in CA where cost of living is higher than other states it would be higher than that $21/hr that I mentioned for the federal level. I think I read recently that according the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the average cost of living in CA is ~$55K/yr, so then the average minimum living wage would be ~$26 in CA. Which is still below any of the figures we're talking about.

Also we're starting to get into some philosophical territory here. However with that said, while one can and certainly should try to better themselves we don't know everyone's situation, passions, or desires. Its easy to say that someone should gain skills or whatever, but some circumstances don't allow for that type of situation. For example what about a single working mother who already has to work two jobs in order to just to afford to have some place to live. She can't afford time nor the cost to go to school in order to better herself and also afford daycare, housing, food, etc.

But let's say someone has a passion to make churros at Disneyland that also shouldn't preclude them from making enough to survive. Doesn't mean they buy a house, or whatever. But at least enough to survive in the state they live without going into severe debt, poverty, or live in their car.

We're the richest nation in the world, we can and should be wanting to help pull up those who make the least and we certainly can afford it. As the saying goes, "a rising tide lifts all boats". As we help those who makes the least it helps us all.

 

[Lilofan]

As I mentioned that living minimum wage can and should be adjusted by region. So in CA where cost of living is higher than other states it would be higher than that $21/hr that I mentioned for the federal level. I think I read recently that according the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the average cost of living in CA is ~$55K/yr, so then the average minimum living wage would be ~$26 in CA.

Also we're starting to get into some philosophical territory here. However with that said, while one can and certainly should try to better themselves we don't know everyone's situation, passions, or desires. Its easy to say that someone should gain skills or whatever, but some circumstances don't allow for that type of situation. For example what about a single working mother who already has to work two jobs in order to just to afford to have some place to live. She can't afford time nor the cost to go to school in order to better herself and also afford daycare, housing, food, etc.

But let's say someone has a passion to make churros at Disneyland that also shouldn't preclude them from making enough to survive. Doesn't mean they buy a house, or whatever. But at least enough to survive in the state they live without going into severe debt, poverty, or live in their car.

We're the richest nation in the world, we can and should be wanting to help pull up those who make the least and we certainly can afford it. As the saying goes, "a rising tide lifts all boats". As we help those who makes the least it helps us all.

$20 per hr what FL cast will be making and FL is lower COL compared to CA than $21 in CA.

 

[Professortango1]

I was shocked she was already making $21.25 for selling churros. That’s pretty good for a job that takes about 15 minutes of training.

I didn't need any formal training to do my job. Training time =/= value.

And considering they would need Food Handler's Card, Sexual Harassment Training, training on the food prep and machine maintenance, and Disney's own CM training for all CMs; Disney is investing a lot more in this employee than 15 minutes. Might as well pay them a living wage to reduce the turnover and have to invest that time and money into a replacement.

 

[Disney Irish]

$20 per hr what FL cast will be making and FL is lower COL compared to CA than $21 in CA.

I believe the same Bureau of Economic Analysis report had FL COL at $50k/yr. So that would put the average minimum living wage for FL at ~$24/hr.