this is absolutley the worst CONTRACT EVER. IF they don't strike they should....here is an email about it
Dear NPR,
Walt Disney World and the Service Trades Council Union (STCU) are having a first-round vote tomorrow, August 6th.
The vote is scheduled to be held at different locations around the WDW property. Workers are not allowed to visit the voting polls on their shift time, and many are complaining that they have been unfairly scheduled to work during the 7 am to 7 pm polling time, many with 12 + hour shifts.
The Contract will affect around 26,000 full-time employees in Transportation, Custodial, Costuming, Merchandise, Attractions and Entertainment lines of business.
Walt Disney World, at close to 55,000 employees, is one of the largest single-site employers in the US.
The Contract offer by Disney is considered to be the harshest yet, topping a 10 year decline in employee wages, benefits and provisions in side-letter agreements.
The offer calls for a 1% increase (6.7 cents) for all employees hired after Dec. 98, and a 0% increase in wages for topped-out employees. Topped-out employees would receive a one-time $500 bonus, before taxes.
In addition, the current 6th and 7th overtime, OT after 8 hours, and double-time after 14 hours and doubleback would be eliminated in favor of the standard over 40 hours in a workweek for overtime at time and a half.
Also, insurance costs would nearly double, putting employees who average between $7 an hour and $11 an hour on the same insurance cost level as Disney executives who earn over $100,000 a year.
Those employees hired after the contract is ratified, according to Disney's proposal, would not be eligible to participate in the pension program, according to the Company proposal.
The Company wants to abolish a ratio of full-time to non full-time employees (65% to 35%) so they may have a free hand in eliminating full-time jobs in favor of part-time seasonal workers and others.
The others most notably include the greatly accelerated College Program and International Programs, whereby college students and workers from foreign countries such as Peru, Brazil, China and other countries under the J-1 Visa work for stints of 4 to 8 months at a time.
Current numbers of these virtually full-time workers is at a record number of over 5,500.
These students make around $6 an hour and pay approximately $80 a week in rent to Disney-owned housing through automatic pay deductions. Many students complain that they have a negative paycheck within the first 2 weeks of their employment, with deductions for rent being taken out. Many students who don't have help from their parents find themselves working 50 to 60 hours a week just to buy food and gas. Those students often quit the program. Disney has even put together food raffles in their housing complexes to help those who struggle.
In addition, the CP and IP programs have been expanded rapidly since 1994 to include students who are majoring in fields totally unrelated to the Theme Park and Hospitality industries.
Amazingly, some students actually receive college credit from their participation. It is suspected that the colleges who offer credit may have received some sort of financial assistance from Disney, or even downright bribes and perks such as free park admission and paid trips to college administrators and their families. Disney has been known to give free admission and paid trips to Washington, D.C. politicians.
Many students, when asked upon their departure if they would refer their friends to the College Program say, "Absolutely not! We were lied to and mislead by our Campus Recruiter and I would tell people to stay away." The ones who received financial support from their parents often would say otherwise. That particular group sometimes extends their stay.
Foreign workers are used all throughout the property, not just at EPCOT where pavillions from various countries showcase the people and themes from participant countries.
Currently, Disney is constructing additional housing to expand the program by another 3,000 + students by next year. Apparently, Disney is anticipating and calculating a large exodus of full-time workers who are growing frustrated and increasingly unable to pay for rent and other basic needs.
It's widely rumored that Disney receives Federal and tax breaks, subsidies and financial incentives to run this so-called "educational program" and Disney has denied those rumors.
It may be possible that Disney receives financial help from State and Local governments or in secret reciprocal agreements from its numerous "Corporate Alliance" partners such as GM, Coca-Cola, AT&T, McDonald's Corp., Nestle, American Express and others. They, in turn, may be receiving tax breaks for their support of the College and International Programs.
A "NO" vote is expected. Many full-timers are worried that the Company will simply not budge from their position or sweeten the deal in a second or third vote, signaling a gloomy prospect of having to leave the company out of economic necessity.
This appears to be a form of "economic genocide" where one type of worker is being forced out in favor of another.
For any more information regarding the above subject matter, please contact me.
