On layoffs, very bad attendance, and Iger's legacy being one of disgrace

[Lilofan]

Damn... when I was a grocery cashier my til had to be within a dollar or I got sent to the principals office (the assistant manager..). And that was over probably hundreds of transactions per shift. Back then we had to wear ties too...

One of my summer jobs the candy store owners prided themselves on making people count change back rather than using the register to tell you the change needed. I bet they had to give that up too...

I can't even find a real cashier at Target. Customers all have to use self service kiosks to pay and bag our own items.

 

[Lilofan]

This is where I usually jump in, and point out how Disney in Orlando has corrupted this basic premise, by importing labor from the Caribbean and the College Program. Local wages do not have to increase, if you can simply get people from somewhere else. The House always wins. Yet somehow we still declare the system fair to all.

This time, though, I'm not sure unemployment will stay in a range where people will be content to fight over scraps. Rather than fighting for access to the full tables of the bourgeoisie. You have to believe you have a chance at the jobs that might exist to take the normal path to the front door. The numbers we're talking about for evictions, missed payments, unemployment. Too many people won't have the luxury of taking the normal path. Historically, these types of imbalances end very poorly. Especially, when one side effectively just told the other side, "we don't care if you get sick and die, shut up, go to work so I can have things."

Importing labor from Carribean? That's a stretch. I would suggest immigrant labor already living in Central Florida. That's more realistic.

 

[Lilofan]

Maybe I have experience that you don't. Maybe I've seen people destroy their marriages by going into thousands of dollars of credit card debt buying damaged merchandise at Property Control. Maybe I've seen people abandon jobs that provide for their families for a minimum wage job and food stamps.

I have many good friends who are cast members, both in "front line" and professional fields. The culture is toxic.


It's my brand.

Maybe that's why Orlando has many pawn shops everywhere you turn? People in debt needing to pawn for cash.

 

[Lilofan]

Disney doesn’t need more employees now and won’t for a long time. They can afford to burn off 20% of their current parks employees and be fine. Have you seen the crowds in the parks?

Then if they need to add employees in 8
-12 months they won’t have an issue hiring employees. The unemployment rate in Orlando is above 17%.

Orange County unemployment rate 29.6% ( Orlando )
Osceola County unemployment rate 39.6% ( Kissimmee )
It's not good

 

[Lilofan]

Happiness at the DMV is getting out in under two hours and for less than $100.

Some states would allow customers to book appointments online and not go through the BS of waiting in line for hours.

 

[Lilofan]

A lot of people that have never worked for Disney hold the company in such a high regard, and they assume Disney is a great employer.

It isn't. But you can certainly make a solid middle-class life working there if you manage to get promoted to a leadership or professional role.

Have you ever worked in a busy fine dining restaurant?. The person that makes lower income than some of the waiters is the salaried manager.

 

[Lilofan]

I believe mostly Puerto Rico, because they are already American citizens and don't have to worry about visas. Haiti is another big one. It's been a few years, since I did the whole "Disney forum thing," so current links to news items aren't my thing anymore but I remember Disney talking about their international job fairs. I think they even expanded into Western Africa. Mostly, housekeeping and other back of house positions, I think.

Sorry to say that's not correct. DCL recruits from third world countries and other countries for the ships. That's more accurate. Also ICP recruits for countries in Epcot.

 

[Lilofan]

This is why we're unionized.

You walk out and strike, you're fired.

 

[Lilofan]

Wow. Thank you for the kind words spoken by all.

There is a sequel thread I've hit "save draft" on a fair amount. Probs tomorrow.

Today, a Splash Mountain boat went underwater and all hands abandoned ship. I can't top that.

SM boat- probably the boat was overloaded by overweight guests.

 

[BigThunderMatt]

Lol you don't know **** about unions

It's my personal experience that the unions at WDW are fairly weak and don't have much leverage in negotiations. The UAW they are not. Yeah sure they got the $15 an hour increase but it was not an instantaneous raise. Like all of their "increases", it gets phased in over the lifetime of the contract so that by the time it becomes base, inflation and cost of living will see to it that it is no longer the standard for a living wage and Cast Members are back at square one.

FFS these people have a no strike clause in their contract. I don't know what the history on the union is going back to the 70s but I wouldn't be surprised if some idiot at the negotiating table gave that up as a concession at some point expecting the company to continue to act in good faith and yet here we are.

 

[WDWTrojan]

SM boat- probably the boat was overloaded by overweight guests.

What? No, that is not what probably happened.

 

[networkpro]

I mean.... thats not the worst suggestion I've heard. Certainly will be more effective than thinking that Dynamic Tolls will somehow reduce traffic. All that does is make Transurban rich and commuters .... more angry.

Tolls dont work, they just shift traffic pain to alternate routes. One thing that the DC area has working against it is every 4-8 years as administrations change a sizable percentage of that workforce changes as well.

"Rich" is a relative term based on values and purchasing power. I was able to opt-out of the DC area because of my education and hard technical skills.

 

[Heppenheimer]

Actually leave 35 minutes earlier if you need to scape the frost off the windshield and windows and warm up the car. People who have no idea what it is like living in cold weather climates are in for a little surprise.

DC is a "cold climate"? I mean, they have a winter, sure, but it's usually pretty mild. The summers there are long and sweltering.

 

[networkpro]

Atlanta's highways are pretty awful.

I had a roommate about a decade ago that worked roughly 20 miles from where we lived. He had to take 285 to get there and back (well, not HAD to, but it was faster than any other alternative). Usually took him about an hour and 15 minutes to get back to our place -- could make the same drive in 15 minutes on a weekend.

Ha, I live about 40 miles away from work (exurb outside of 285) to the most congested portion of 285 (between I-75 and I-85) and it takes me only half an hour to get into the office and 45 minutes to get home (well it did 6 months ago when I actually worked in the office). The commuting paradigm for lots of us is going away.

 

[networkpro]

DC is a "cold climate"? I mean, they have a winter, sure, but it's usually pretty mild. The summers there are long and sweltering.

Any place where a real top coat is considered a necessity is cold. I've walked across the frozen Potomac River at Roosevelt Island, so I'd say that's cold enough.

 

[Heppenheimer]

Any place where a real top coat is considered a necessity is cold. I've walked across the frozen Potomac River at Roosevelt Island, so I'd say that's cold enough.

Try northern New England or most of Canada if you think DC is cold enough.

 

[networkpro]

Try northern New England or most of Canada if you think DC is cold enough.

I have, I also laugh at what y'all consider hot.

 

[bryanfze55]

People are becoming more and more aware of Disney's labor practices in Florida, and they're getting louder about it. Disney's last announced wage increase happened as a result. And it needs to keep happening. There's no reason for Orlando to be the lowest wage major US city.

Florida’s wages as a whole are subpar. Hospitality employees in Tampa don’t make any more than hospitality employees in Orlando; there’s just more of them in Orlando.

I’m not sure why, but employees in the Sun Belt are just paid lower on average. I live in the Midwest, low cost of living metro, and the wages here are even significantly higher... I guess because nobody wants to live here?

 

[Lilofan]

Florida’s wages as a whole are subpar. Hospitality employees in Tampa don’t make any more than hospitality employees in Orlando; there’s just more of them in Orlando.

I’m not sure why, but employees in the Sun Belt are just paid lower on average. I live in the Midwest, low cost of living metro, and the wages here are even significantly higher... I guess because nobody wants to live here?

Last I heard Florida the sunshine state is a favorite for many to move to warmer climates and where the water is warm and the drinks are cold. That Midwest winter weather might not be a favorite of some.

 

[bryanfze55]

Last I heard Florida the sunshine state is a favorite for many to move to warmer climates and where the water is warm and the drinks are cold. That Midwest winter weather might not be a favorite of some.

Correct. You suffer a penalty to live in a place some people call “paradise.” To me, Florida is hell on Earth. I guess the question we’ve been pondering is whether or not this is right. You can push wages up everywhere (which I am for), but some city is still going to be the lowest paid. Why not Orlando?