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

[Castmbr]

I do believe in a living wage after working 40 hours.

I would love to know who is the "king of living wage" decision so we can get a number from them that is realistic based upon geographic region considering all areas different. The rate is not what businesses want to pay and it is not what the laziest of lazy employees want either. It's probably somewhere in the middle and you will never please all so do not try....let the market decide since we are free to work and search for work at anytime.

Staying put is easy and complaining about your job is even easier. Making change happen takes work and growth. The choice is up to the individual and some choose to stay in the same position because it is comfortable and risk never getting a real pay increase above COLA.

 

[bryanfze55]

In 2003 that would have been right around the average salary in the USA. That’s not me trying to prove a point at all... just stating a fact.

That’s still above the median individual salary in the United States, believe it or not which hovers just above $30,000. That’s right, the middle American makes just over $15/hour. Granted, I think this includes part time employees but the general thesis stands that most Americans don’t even breach $50K in any given year. To be paid $43,000 per year nearly two decades ago doesn’t sound uniquely oppressive. It just sounds like America.

 

[matt9112]

Sad, but not surprising. I wonder if any leaders are regretting their decision to not furlough back in March and keeping everyone on. It was admirable, but those employees could've received unemployment+ at the time (state unemployment + $600/week) and now would've had some job security as opposed to being laid off after the extra benefits have vanished. Seems like a lose/lose for those employees.

So its my responsibility as a tax payer to pay for them?

 

[ImperfectPixie]

So its my responsibility as a tax payer to pay for them?

Ask Walmart.

 

[bryanfze55]

Low end were less than that. $30 ish.

Unit managers were in the 40’s starting...departments in the 50’s and up.

I had lunch often with a general manager who had 2,112 rooms that grossed $500,000 a night...all in...and they made $70,000s

If he/she had time to eat lunch, he/she clearly wasn’t earning their $70K salary.

 

[matt9112]

Ask Walmart.

Thats a whole rabbit hole i am aware of.

 

[ParentsOf4]

Oh yes.

For its first few years, this “News and Rumors” forum was essentially an online club for many insiders to trade gossip. Think of a local bar after work. Pheneix was one of those original members. Lee and Marni were others. Their track records were impeccable.

Iger had just become CEO and his original policy for WDW was “maintain, don’t build.” Disney refurbed Main Street USA and the HM but ignored almost everything else. You can imagine how negative the insider opinions were.

As the site became more popular and the forums gained more Pixie Dusters, the new members couldn’t handle the realistic conversations and labeled the insiders “Doom-and-Gloomers,” an issue that did exist on many Disney fan sites but was rarely a problem here. But it became tiresome to constantly battle, and many of the new members set themselves up as self-styled experts even though they were not insiders at all—just curiously defensive fans. Original insiders began to fade away.

We also had a few good years with a certain Spirit who left MiceChat and headed here; and even though his attitude was gruff, his Disney business knowledge was dead-on. But he frequently mixed political and personal opinions into his posts, and people joined the boards to tail him and constantly argue even when his Disney news was right.

Steve (Mr. WDWMagic himself) still knows what’s going on, but there are fewer insiders constantly posting. For one thing, many left the company. Others were afraid of revealing their sources when Lasseter cracked down on leaks during his brief stint at WDI. The Spirited discussions on here also attracted Disney Social Media employees who set up accounts specifically to argue and defend. And Lee, Pheneix, and others drifted off.

These are still the best WDW fan forums; and tbh, once a site grows like this, it can’t be the office water cooler for gossip. There are just too many people. Most of the modern news isn’t interesting anyway.

It’s good to see Pheneix again.

What? You don't like my return?

 

[Lilofan]

If he/she had time to eat lunch, he/she clearly wasn’t earning their $70K salary.

If he or she could hook up with the chefs, maybe they can eat for free.

 

[matt9112]

Without getting political? Because of governmental and economic pressures.

..... That and approximately $2.5M a day from the NBA. (Thats the figure i was told - could be higher, could be lower)

IMHO, nothing should be open until this public health emergency is under control.

Its nowhere close to being under control.

Meh have to walk a line. The economic damage will be far worse than the actual death toll from covid. If everything was closed right now i would be in a cardboard box. No thanks.

 

[Lilofan]

So its my responsibility as a tax payer to pay for them?

We as taxpayers pay for a lot to support many things including folks that use the hospital ER like their private doctor office and pharmacy with no intent in paying the bill since no one by law can be denied medical attention at the ER.

 

[matt9112]

I cant get into that without breaking the Politics rules.

Suffice to say, I feel that shouldn't be an issue. People shouldn't have to worry about income or food or rent during this.

Uhhh dollar valuation is a thing...how big of a grenade are you willing to throw.

 

[bryanfze55]

Well if you are concerned about cost of living.. DC shouldn't be high on your list Even way out in our suburbs, many drive an hour to work simply because they can't afford to live near where they work And I'm not talking about 'commuting to the city' - I'm talking about can't live in suburb ABC, so you live in BFE county and commute in.

Anywhere nice in the DC suburbs costs a fortune. Not SF or NYC... but considering I live 45mins from the city and still have those kind of urban comparisons... that should tell you something

Of course you could move out to the country here.. we have really nice stuff out to the west.

For what it’s worth, Denver has a high cost of living also without the correspondingly higher wages of DC. Can’t really get into the housing market in a decent area of Denver for under $450k or so. Low property taxes help.

 

[matt9112]

I’m not sure it’s been brought recently in this thread...so as a reminder:

They do NOT want APs descending on those parks. Don’t look for it to change. It doesn’t make financial sense in their market.

Yeah i thought about getting a new one (expired before covid) but saw they halted sales and was like mkay guess not.

 

[TheDisneyDaysOfOurLives]

So its my responsibility as a tax payer to pay for them?

The money was given out regardless of how you feel. I know what it feels like to be laid off through no fault of your own. The people laid off weren’t just your standard $10/hr employees but professionals who made a lot more than that (I know because they’re showing up on my LinkedIn). For the record, an additional $600/week would not make me whole, but it would be a hell of a lot easier to provide for my family than the measly $300 or so a week I got when I was drawing unemployment. I was fortunate to get a new job within 6 weeks, but these people are now facing a significantly more difficult job market.

 

[eliza61nyc]

We as taxpayers pay for a lot to support many things including folks that use the hospital ER like their private doctor office and pharmacy with no intent in paying the bill since no one by law can be denied medical attention at the ER.

It's not they don't have any intention it's that they can't.
Last month rush #2 minion to the ER because he had difficulties breathing. Thank God it turned out to be something call a tonsil stone that broke off and was lodge in his throat. Even with supposedly great BC/BS insurance he owes a couple of grand. Now with an entry level job, student loan, rent etc. Nope that bill ain't getting paid. And I don't have a problem with that. Health care in this country is a cluster$& but that's a whole nother debate

 

[matt9112]

I would comment on "monthly payment plans for annual passes" but the last time I offered commentary on people making poor life decisions it didn't end well for me.

If i spend less

The money was given out regardless of how you feel. I know what it feels like to be laid off through no fault of your own. The people laid off weren’t just your standard $10/hr employees but professionals who made a lot more than that (I know because they’re showing up on my LinkedIn). For the record, an additional $600/week would not make me whole, but it would be a hell of a lot easier to provide for my family than the measly $300 or so a week I got when I was drawing unemployment. I was fortunate to get a new job within 6 weeks, but these people are now facing a significantly more difficult job market.

Arent these career oriented college educated folks supposed to have a big fat bank account of savings? Because they are smarter than the rest of us ?

 

[Disorbust]

@ParentsOf4 well I'm glad your back and am looking forward to your anaylsis of the earnings call!!

 

[Sir_Cliff]

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%.

This is where I would caution against people imagining that this crisis will lead to a great reckoning and a change in the economic model that favours higher wages and better working conditions for people at places like WDW or fast food restaurants.

All of that could happen, but in contexts like Orlando it seems equally if not more likely that with mass unemployment people will get increasingly desperate to jump at whatever scraps are on offer. Then the hand of companies like Disney become stronger at a moment in which their investors are pressuring them to push harder to extract greater profits in a difficult environment. With the onus now being to extract greater profits out of fewer workers, it's hard to imagine anything but a deteriorating situation for frontline workers. That's the scenario that the much vaunted free market left to its own devices will likely produce without legislation, stronger unions, or mass civil unrest.

 

[bryanfze55]

It's not they don't have any intention it's that they can't.
Last month rush #2 minion to the ER because he had difficulties breathing. Thank God it turned out to be something call a tonsil stone that broke off and was lodge in his throat. Even with supposedly great BC/BS insurance he owes a couple of grand. Now with an entry level job, student loan, rent etc. Nope that bill ain't getting paid. And I don't have a problem with that. Health care in this country is a cluster$& but that's a whole nother debate

That’s unfortunate. He might want to consider a 12 or 24 month payment plan. Perhaps it can be done on that. The hit to a credit score from unpaid medical bills can be pretty drastic. Trust me, I know medical bills suck. I had to pay $5,000 last year for the birth of my child (and yes I also have “great” insurance). When my mom had me in 1992, she paid a $100 copay with mediocre insurance ...dammit Boomers!

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

The money was given out regardless of how you feel. I know what it feels like to be laid off through no fault of your own. The people laid off weren’t just your standard $10/hr employees but professionals who made a lot more than that (I know because they’re showing up on my LinkedIn). For the record, an additional $600/week would not make me whole, but it would be a hell of a lot easier to provide for my family than the measly $300 or so a week I got when I was drawing unemployment. I was fortunate to get a new job within 6 weeks, but these people are now facing a significantly more difficult job market.

I can’t stand this standard “givers and takers” tinge to this conversation...in THIS scenario. Though there are flaws in that stance at all times.

I heard an economist say this: “we didn’t stimulate the economy...we put it into a medically induced coma”

That is 100% correct. Needed to make sure no component collapsed - and quickly. That includes the average middle to lower class person. And I KNOW we all hate that...

But it needed to be done for the whole system and probably still does. Need some tweaks though...can’t argue that.

But I hate the spite that somehow “everyone is making out” - what a load of crap as always.

You know who made out? Bob Iger. The federal reserve created and injected $3.7 trillion of “liquidity” into the market with a snap of the fingers...buying junk bonds and trash debt that no normal human would spend their money on. And you know why? Because that’s what they learned in the housing crash: don’t make US pay! Don’t touch the markets. We don’t want the burden of paying.