Breaking News! Union Vote Is In!

[speck76]

To answer your question, yes. Yes, there are still those cms who help maintain the magic but more and more are leaving and it's getting harder to find those who will. For example, when I auditioned for entertainment ten years ago there were ten thousand people at my audition. It lasted 11 hours. Auditions were held every three months. For every ten people who applied for a job with Disney, only one got hired. Now the company is lucky if they can get ten people to an audition held once a week and they have to pretty much hire anyone who applies. In turn, quality suffers. You may think it's rediculous for employees to expect more out of the company. I suspect, then, that you won't be complaining when you encounter less than magical cms on your next vacation.

You seem to be making the assumption that if the pay was higher, more people would apply, therefore WDW would have more people to choose from, and quality would be higher.

Unfortunately, there is no way to prove this would happen. Do you really think there are quality people out there who are thinking "if WDW was to pay $.25 more per hour, I would apply"?

And, to clear this up, I do complain if I encounter a CM not doing the job they were hired to do. They knew what they were in for when they got hired. They dod not accept the job without knowing the limits of the pay. If they have made the choice to stay in the job, then they have also made the choice to DO the job.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Back in the day when Disney did pay higher then most, they did have a larger turnout. People fought to get into WDW and Disney had the ability to pick and choose with their applicants. Of course, thsi is long before Disney stopped giving raises to the front line cast and in turn just gave out bonuses to higher ups.

Personally, i feel that managmenet should treat the cast in the same manner the cast is supposed to treat the guests.

 

[barnum42]

Personally, i feel that managmenet should treat the cast in the same manner the cast is supposed to treat the guests.

That's a short way of saying what I rambled on about a couple of posts up :lol:

 

[Mary Poppins]

Back in the day when Disney did pay higher then most, they did have a larger turnout. People fought to get into WDW and Disney had the ability to pick and choose with their applicants. Of course, thsi is long before Disney stopped giving raises to the front line cast and in turn just gave out bonuses to higher ups.

Personally, i feel that managmenet should treat the cast in the same manner the cast is supposed to treat the guests.

That was exactly what I was trying to convey in my post. The larger turnout was because Disney was miles above the competition as far as taking care of the cast members. Now they are on the same level and quickly falling below the competition. Which is why the quality people are going elsewhere and Disney is getting what they pay for. Which in turn means the guest is getting what Disney pays for. Just remember this when you want to complain that the quality standards are falling.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Ive had conversations about the early 80s with a shop steward that pretty much conveyed that people fought to get into Disney because of their higher than average pay and great benefits. While the stories tol may have been exaggerated (3 openings, 1000 applications), the general idea was there, that Disney was the place to work, because you would be be taken care of and you werent just another cog in the corporate machine.

Of course this was 20 years ago, at the beggining of the Eisner era. It was one of the things that set Disney apart from other corporations.

Yes, we as Cast Members know what we are getting into. Its just disheartning to be treated so negativly by management. Its a corporate culture of a similar mindset that has taken over at WDW, one where the front line cast is expendible and that they can get the same results from CPs in those roles.

But bottom line is, we want to be treated by management in the same manner that the cast is supposed to treat the guests. We want to feel special too, because thats what we're providing - service.

 

[cm1988]

Cast Members are relatively wealthy. Inequity is a WDW labor issue but it didn't start there and of course will not end there. Three billion people on this planet earn less than $2 per day (or its equivalent). Take the implications of the issues and responses in this thread and magnify them to that global scope.

Let's just look at our hearts. Do we accept the misfortune others suffer as "part of the system"? Do we place the blame on their backs? Yes, the ones in free countries can look for other work. Do we maybe like the status quo where we, the "have's", cruise by while others struggle to remain afloat?

I'm not standing on high moral ground here. I've enjoyed many cups of coffee that cost more than the $2 another person needs to survive. I just wonder if we can agree that... back to WDW's labor issues and this thread... we have a problem here (as well as in many other places). Can we agree that it is not right that people work full-time jobs, yet take home less than they need for housing, transportation, food and medical care?

Identifying a problem is at least a start.

By the way, if this issue is of further interest to you, the book Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich is a well-known journalist's account of trying to live on entry-level wages earned in three communities. It's available in paperback or at your local library.

 

[longfamily]

I am of the same opinion that many of you on this thread are...If your job cannot support you, seek another job elsewhere. I keep reading about entitlement and it makes me cringe. Why should an entire group be entitled to higher wages? Raises are/should be performance based. Work hard, give to the company and they will give back, unless otherwise noted in your contract.
I agree that if you can no longer pay your bills then it is time to move on.
Should skilled workers be seperate from unskilled workers? Absolutely. And yes, the entertainment division should be considered "skilled". But once again, individualism wins out over the group depending on your asset to the company. Too many people in this world think that they are entitled to things.They are unwilling to improve thier situation. Managers and CEO's become managers and CEO's because they created a way to make themselves invaluble to a company. Strikers complain that these people unfairly get more. These people used skill, dedication, and creativity to get up that corporate ladder. They deserve everything they get. They are the first to get terminated when things go wrong but these are people skilled enough to stay where they are. They have to constantly prove that they belong in those positions. The minute they slip, they are gone.
If you want something better from a company, earn it. Deserve it. Smiling and answering questions is your job. Rise above consistantly to get what you want.

Health care is another matter. Does Disney force you to have health care? Do the unions provide health care? Some unions do. Do you have a decision on what types of health care you can purchase? Some companies have a tiered system. It would not be less profitable for Disney to give the option.
Instead of haggling over the monatary figures you agreed to when you were hired, this should be the Biggest concern. Maybe it is.

I am sorry to those who feel that they are being put down because they feel as though others on this thread are acting superior. Most of the people on this thread who are in opposition of some of the points of the strike are sharing thier opinions/advice to help not to hurt. There is alot of intellegent points to consider.

 

[Mary Poppins]

I am of the same opinion that many of you on this thread are...If your job cannot support you, seek another job elsewhere. I keep reading about entitlement and it makes me cringe. Why should an entire group be entitled to higher wages? Raises are/should be performance based. Work hard, give to the company and they will give back, unless otherwise noted in your contract.

I shouldn't have to look for another job after ten years with the company. I agree more than anyone that raises should be performance based. Unfortunately at Disney, they aren't. They never have been. Raises are given based on your length of service and stop at five years. Based on my length of service, I'm not concerned with those raises. The raise I am concerned with is that cost of living raise we get every October. The company, in the past, has given us a substantial enough raise of this type but this time around it it is far less than the cost of living hike in this area.

I agree that if you can no longer pay your bills then it is time to move on.
Should skilled workers be seperate from unskilled workers? Absolutely. And yes, the entertainment division should be considered "skilled". But once again, individualism wins out over the group depending on your asset to the company. Too many people in this world think that they are entitled to things.They are unwilling to improve thier situation. Managers and CEO's become managers and CEO's because they created a way to make themselves invaluble to a company. Strikers complain that these people unfairly get more. These people used skill, dedication, and creativity to get up that corporate ladder. They deserve everything they get. They are the first to get terminated when things go wrong but these are people skilled enough to stay where they are. They have to constantly prove that they belong in those positions. The minute they slip, they are gone.
If you want something better from a company, earn it. Deserve it. Smiling and answering questions is your job. Rise above consistantly to get what you want.

Entertainment should be considered skilled you say. Next time you are in the park watching performers in parades, just remember that those performers are skilled. They do have to proove that they belong in those positions. They have to audition every year at Skill Code Evaluations to make sure they still have the skill to perform those roles. Yet, most of them are making the same amount as the churro wagon cm or the toilet cleaning cm.

Health care is another matter. Does Disney force you to have health care? Do the unions provide health care? Some unions do. Do you have a decision on what types of health care you can purchase? Some companies have a tiered system. It would not be less profitable for Disney to give the option.
Instead of haggling over the monatary figures you agreed to when you were hired, this should be the Biggest concern. Maybe it is.

If you opt to not choose Disney insurance, you must provide proof that you have alternate insurance. The union does not provide health care. There are choices to make on which insurance you pick. I am never sick therefore I have to choose the most expensive insurance as I would never meet the deductible of the other choices. As I stated above, my complaint is not the rise in healthcare. I attribute this to cost of living. In my mind it wouldn't be an issue at all if the raise the company was giving was enough to cover the cost of living.

 

[bgraham34]

Sometimes i just ahte unions but what can you do.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Cast Members are relatively wealthy.

Thats hysterrically funny. Really. I'd love to see you try paying rend on my salary.

By the way, if this issue is of further interest to you, the book Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich is a well-known journalist's account of trying to live on entry-level wages earned in three communities.

Been there, read that. Personally i feel it shows more of how the service industry keeps wages low to keep a entire class of people willing to do those jobs. Good book, Corporate leaders should read that book.

 

[longfamily]

After I posted last night, my hubby and I discussed the need for unions. In some situations unions have been started and backfired on the same people that were trying to accomplish anything. Corporations have a choice to work with unions by offering full-time union work. With that in mind, it is a scary thought that the unions are actually controlled by the corporations anyway. I realize that this is not always the case with every industry. It does seem true of Disney though. Unions tend to be an obsolete entity in alot of cases in this day in time. They were very necessary during a time when people were incapable of negotiation because of education level or if they had a language barrier. I'm talking about the beginnings of the unions. It was a great idea to represent someone that could not do it themselves. Today, %90 of us are more than capable of negotiation. It is our duty to ourselves to ask for something when we feel we deserve it. It is also our choice to take legal action when there is valid proof that we have earned something. A union works in this way but works more for the group, not the individual (i know in some cases they will go to bat for you). The individual is more likely to get what they want with the least amount of comprimise.
It sounds as though people are unhappy about the healthcare choice at Disney because they must pay high premiems, however, it was noted above that you do not have to purchase Insurance through Disney if you can get it somewhere else. Well, what are you waiting for? Shop around. You may find that you can get the same coverage for a much cheaper price. Then you will no longer need to worry that you're not bringing in enough income to cover what Disney has to offer. Disney more than likely let you know from the beginning that insurance wold be necessary to gain a position in the company. If this is a new program, go shopping. It is common sense to check out all of your options. A person should never take what is offered first. Unions typically get great deals for health care and sometimes they can get multi priced insurance to cover every financial group, they want to work for you so ask them to include this benefit. They get your dues, therefore they are an investment for you. If they are worth anything they would consider this action. I hope that it all ends well for the people involved in this battle with Disney. We do love that you love your jobs

 

[cm1988]

"Cast Members are relatively wealthy"...
Thats hysterrically funny. Really. I'd love to see you try paying rend on my salary.

Ok, my starting pay was $4.85 per hour. I tried moonlighting to supplement income, but continued to rack up huge personal debt over 10 years, then went bankrupt. Really hadn't planned to!

I agree with your observations on Nickle & Dimed. The point about "relatively wealthy" is that 3 billion people on this planet earn less than 2 dollars per day. Even $4.85 per hour sounds good next to that.

In any event, the latest on the contract negotions is that they are in arbitration. May it work out well for everyone.

 

[jcraycraft]

Disney's Union Group Votes On Contract Proposal -- Again

Looks like the union is going to take another vote after meeting with the federal mediator, then go from there.


http://www.wftv.com/employment/3921498/detail.html


Disney's Union Group Votes On Contract Proposal -- Again
POSTED: 6:48 AM EST November 16, 2004


ORLANDO, Fla. -- A week after union members rejected an almost identical deal, the largest union group at Walt Disney World will vote this week on a contract proposal for the fourth time since negotiations began in May.

Leaders of the Service Trades Council Union, which covers about 40 percent of Disney World's 51,000-person work force, and Disney officials met with federal mediator Conrad Bowling on Monday and decided to take another vote Thursday.

Disney has refused to extend the current contract, which expires on Thursday, union officials said. Without a contract union members would be able to strike, since that is prohibited in the contract, and Disney would be able implement provisions it wants unilaterally.

"We have not been down this road with this company before," said Donna-Lynne Dalton, recording secretary for Teamsters Local 385, which represents costumed workers and bus drivers at Disney.

Disney spokeswoman Jacquee Polak said she wouldn't speculate on what actions the company will take if the proposal is voted down and the contract expires.

"We're hopeful that it's going to be ratified on Thursday," Polak said. "I think it's premature to speculate on what the company is going to do on a 'what-if' basis."

Union members last week voted 3,686 against and 2,827 for the contract. The vote also authorized union leaders to call a strike if necessary, but that is an unlikely prospect since only two of the six unions in the council have enough member-support for such action.

Opponents of the contract said the proposed wage increase was too small to offset the increases in what they would pay for health care insurance.

The vote divided the six-union council that represents laundry workers, costumed characters, bus drivers, hotel and concessions workers and others. Two of the member unions, the Teamsters Local 385 and the Unite HERE! Local 362, advised their members to reject the contract proposal, while the four other unions recommended approval.

The council faces the same 4-2 split going into Thursday's vote.

If the contract is voted down again on Thursday, the unions and Disney will rush to have a last-ditch session with the mediator before the contract expires at midnight.

"If the contract goes down, he has less than a three-hour window Thursday night," said Ed Chambers, president of United Food and Commercial Workers Union, Local 1625.

 

[Number_6]

It sounds as though people are unhappy about the healthcare choice at Disney because they must pay high premiems, however, it was noted above that you do not have to purchase Insurance through Disney if you can get it somewhere else. Well, what are you waiting for? Shop around. You may find that you can get the same coverage for a much cheaper price.

I recently moved to Florida, so I don't know exactly how it is down here, but I know that in Massachusetts, I have only ever been able to afford health insurance when it was offered through my employer because they absorbed most of the cost, leaving the weekly fees of something like $32 as all I had to pay. If I had wanted the same level of coverage(family) without getting it through work, it would have cost over $600 dollars/month(I can't remember the exact amount, but I'm basing it on people that I knew that couldn't get health insurance through their jobs, and also when I left one of the companies I worked for and was told that COBRA coverage would have been about $180/week). The only reason my wife and kids had any insurance for any length of time after leaving that company was because of MassHealth, and after my dad passed away and we inherited the house, MassHealth said that my wife and kids were no longer eligible since we were homeowners, even though neither of us was employed(I had just been fired from a crappy sales job, my wife was stay-at-home because my son was still too young for preschool).

 

[longfamily]

I recently moved to Florida, so I don't know exactly how it is down here, but I know that in Massachusetts, I have only ever been able to afford health insurance when it was offered through my employer because they absorbed most of the cost, leaving the weekly fees of something like $32 as all I had to pay. If I had wanted the same level of coverage(family) without getting it through work, it would have cost over $600 dollars/month(I can't remember the exact amount, but I'm basing it on people that I knew that couldn't get health insurance through their jobs, and also when I left one of the companies I worked for and was told that COBRA coverage would have been about $180/week). The only reason my wife and kids had any insurance for any length of time after leaving that company was because of MassHealth, and after my dad passed away and we inherited the house, MassHealth said that my wife and kids were no longer eligible since we were homeowners, even though neither of us was employed(I had just been fired from a crappy sales job, my wife was stay-at-home because my son was still too young for preschool).

That's tough It may be easier for you now that you are in Florida. The south tends to be cheaper than the north...then again, all those hurricanes:lookaroun...In louisiana I'm able to cover my whole family for a little over $250 a month. With a little research, you may find something available like that in FL. Good luck

 

[Number_6]

That's tough It may be easier for you now that you are in Florida. The south tends to be cheaper than the north...then again, all those hurricanes:lookaroun...In louisiana I'm able to cover my whole family for a little over $250 a month. With a little research, you may find something available like that in FL. Good luck

Even still, $250/month is more than the $32/week($128/month) I payed through my job. Healthcare tends to be cheaper through an employer, otherwise it wouldn't be able to be referred to as a "benefit."

 

[longfamily]

Even still, $250/month is more than the $32/week($128/month) I payed through my job. Healthcare tends to be cheaper through an employer, otherwise it wouldn't be able to be referred to as a "benefit."

Good point

**busts calculator against wall**

 

[HennieBogan1966]

I'm Baaaaaaccccckkkkk

Well Folks I'm back again. And once again, I have to put in my two cents. I read comments of pay raises, cola raises, seniority, etc. etc. The union votes down the latest proposal. Geez, I thought it was about the love for Disney, and not wanting to give up your tenure with the company. Yet, here we are again. At the point of no return, about to hit the picket lines.

Let's ask how many of us out here who don't work at the parks, how many cola adjustments we've gotten, EVER??!!!! Now, I know what you will say cms, work elsewhere if you don't like it. EXACTLY!!!!!!! I love Disney as much as anyone, but yet all I am reading out here concerning THIS issue is how bad the company is, how little mgmt cares about the little guy, blah blah blah.

Question: Where is it written that they are supposed to care? I hate to say it that way, but let's look at REALITY. (again, a few of my "friends" on this subject have been all too willing to voice their views of REALITY to me on this subject. ) Well, the reality is this: You were hired to do a certain job, for a certain wage, for a specified length of time. (current contract: which has been extended). You accepted those terms. You now seek to change those terms, and establish a new contract. The employer with which you are negotiating does not agree with the proposal you have brought to the table.
You now have 2 options: Vote on the current proposal and continue to earn your wage, or (2) WORK ELSEWHERE. Now, given the realities of finding new employment, in that very unique field, during a slower time of the year, seems to me to answer which option you should choose. True, there is a 3rd option: STRIKE. Keep in mind though that the employer I'm sure, reserves the right to seek to fill those positions with others in your stead. Seems a risky thing to do, since the MILLIONS OF DOLLARS that your unions have taken from you in UNION DUES probably won't pay you for very long. OR WILL THEY? Hmmmm!!!! Interesting thought isn't it? WHERE IS ALL THAT MONEY? Well, I guess that's not important is it? 20K pay $25/month in dues, sure seems like a lot of cash to me.

Anyway, let's hope that things get worked out before it comes to people walking picket lines in an attempt to discredit the very company which they "love" so much. Gee, unions are so great for the company aren't they?

By the way, where's MY COLA???!!!

 

[Yen_Sid1]

By the way, where's MY COLA???!!!

If you wanted COLA, you should have negotiated for it!!

 

[boo52]

Blah blah blah blah Union bad blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah shut up and like it blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah what do you expect blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah quit your crying blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah dump the unions blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah cast memebers hate disney blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

:snore: :snore: :snore: