I think the reason for the anger is largely due to the fact that a troubling trend has emerged in the working world where CEOs and Top execs get huge raises and bonuses while everyone else's wages stagnate.
Personally I wouldn't care how much Iger or any other CEO makes if companies as a whole continued to give their employees raises and bonuses as well, given that much of a company's success comes from the cogs in the wheel that keep the machine running. It used to be that raises/bonuses were an incentive for employees to give their all to the job. Today, more and more companies give little in extra compensation, often not even a cost of living raise, which makes employees feel that they are working harder for less money. In some cases, those inflated CEO paychecks may even be the result of maximizing profits by slashing jobs or keeping the employee pay flat.
I don't want to wade into another capitalism vs socialism debate. All I want to say is that when people are frustrated about stagnant wages, these examples of CEOs getting huge boosts seem all the more glaring and anger results.
In the case of Iger, I would only hope that his windfall would encourage him to reward some of his employees that are going above and beyond to keep the brand top-notch as well.
The problem is the 'cogs in the wheel that keep the machine running' as you call them do not invest in the business they are working for. There is my problem with all of this. When a company is successful it is easy to say they should share the profits, so if you believe in that, they should be responsible financially for the downside as well. If employees want more of the pay, they should share more risk and potential of loss. But no, they receive the same pay, no matter if Disney posts a profit or loss.
I will also argue 'little in extra compensation' will do nothing. Paying more will help for the first day or two, but then this conversation will start all over again - except it will be "That is all we got?"
I worked for a pizzeria in high school. I never thought that they needed me because without me, the pizzas would not get delivered, and therefore I was entitled to more pay. No, a delivery driver received their pay, and any tips, i knew that, and that is what it was. The pizzeria absorbed all the cost of equipment, insurance, rent, advertisement, and to say they wouldn't be successful without me as a delivery driver is just absurd.
I cannot say it enough. The only way you are going to get ahead is to stop looking back at what others are getting or doing. One reason rich people are happier (other than money) is because they believe their best days are ahead of them, and look forward to the future, while others feel the best days are behind them, dragging them down, and putting them in a bad mood.
