castlecake2.0
Well-Known Member
Exactly haha. Fun fact: the pretzel bread they serve at le cellier and biergarten are made at a German bakery in Kitchener and sent down to us. I’m from Ajax originally.
-
Welcome to the WDWMAGIC.COM Forums!
Please take a look around, and feel free to sign up and join the community.
Cast Member Pay & Labor Laws
- Thread starter Raineman
- Start date
"El Gran Magnifico"
Mr Flibble is Very Cross.
Back to the thread. @castlecake2.0 do you live in Orlando now? I'm just south. Usually make it up to Ontario a couple of times a year. Hopefully it opens back up soon.
castlecake2.0
Well-Known Member
I’m in Celebration
I’ve gone home a couple times during Covid but not since they introduced the quarantine hotel thing. Hopefully sometime this fall I can get up there!
"El Gran Magnifico"
Mr Flibble is Very Cross.
I’m in Celebration
You can tell everybody you live near "The Hockey Capital of the World". That'll go over well. Stay away from Montreal for a little while though. It's still fresh.
lentesta
Premium Member
True - we don't know what he spends on online poker.
Does the Sentinel article say he's getting 40 hours per week? I didn't see it. I don't think the article mentioned any ongoing healthcare costs, insurance, or debts he had, either.
Regardless of whether he makes $27K, the living wage for a single adult in Orlando is currently $32K.
"El Gran Magnifico"
Mr Flibble is Very Cross.
The article really didn't say much. Other than alluding to - "He works for Disney and struggles to survive". I mean, look, yes, people at Disney are under-paid to an extent. So are people working for "major" companies all over the country. Each scenario is different. Most people get paid enough to have a roof over their head plus utilities, have some form of transportation, and food. From there it gets wonky. And the Sentinel article actually posed more questions than it shed light on.
I know plenty of people that outspend their means. Some blow their money on the social aspect of going out all the time or spending it on things like online poker, strip clubs, drugs, alcohol, etc. I'm in no way saying this is the case - but how do we know that the subject of the article doesn't lose $500 a month playing online poker and has a $300 a month spend on alcohol? We don't.
I'm not saying that this is the case in this instance. But maybe.
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
Again, where did I say anything remotely close to a hot dog server making $100k?
This analogy is also poor because you aren’t going for the hot dogs. You are going to Walt Disney World to ride the rides and you need Sally to ride the ride. You need a whole crew of Sally’s to run all of the trains. If you want lines that are moving you need a whole crew of experienced Sallys who can run that ride at peak efficiency. If you don’t want to die on that ride because every corner possible is getting cut to eek out just a little bit more profit you’re also going to want an experienced Sally who will recognize a weird noise and hit the E-Stop button.
"El Gran Magnifico"
Mr Flibble is Very Cross.
No. I don't. It could be Sally, it could be John. It could be Willy Wonka.
We're not discussing efficiency here. I don't disagree that a tenured employee is more valuable than a new hire. But the reality is that if it takes 25 minutes instead of 22 minutes to traverse the queue - It's not really moving the needle. I'm not an apologist. I'm the first to point out Disney's lack of quality and value in many areas. And I'm not saying Disney shouldn't pay a bit more. But at the end of the day, if an employee is expendable - they are expendable. It's not rocket science. And I'm not trying to demean them. But any job you can get trained in - in a week - is expendable.
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
If we’re discussing the business of theme parks then we absolutely are discussing efficiency. The key metric around which a theme park is designed is attractions per guest per hour. Being able to ensure peak efficiency means less need for investment in capacity.
Reducing a wait from 25 minutes to 22 minutes can represent hundreds of guests and hour and thousands of guest per day. All guests who will be more satisfied with their day and inclined to spend more. Yes, you could technically run a ride with a crew trained last week but it’s going to cost you in decreased spending and guest recovery efforts.
"El Gran Magnifico"
Mr Flibble is Very Cross.
Except we’re not. This thread is about “Cast Member Pay and Labor Laws”. Says so in the title.
You may be looking for the “Argument” thread. That one is down the hall.
Nope, not a fact.
Please state how that is verifiable.
These lower income jobs, not requiring much education, were meant to be a supplemental income for a family.
It served both sides well, the hiring company and the family because they were flexible and mostly part time.
Thx.
The problem is that there used to be many jobs in America where you could have a middle class lifestyle without a college degree. Unfortunately, factories closed and those jobs were shipped overseas; right now, transportation and shipping are the leading "working class" occupations in most states; but those will dry up soon as automation takes hold of those industries.
College degrees no longer provide the direct avenue to the middle class because even professional occupations are drying up, or becoming more specialized.
Companies like Disney have ignored wage growth and investing in their workers for quite some time; we have a zero sum game where investors expect large dividends and margins every year, and re-investment in the company (people, facilities, R&D) are second tier.
Livable wages are possible, as we see from every other industrialized nation on the planet. But America continues to ignore the issues of our muddled economic system. Capitalism is fine; but mitigation is necessary to halt it's most cruel and unequal impact on people.
College degrees no longer provide the direct avenue to the middle class because even professional occupations are drying up, or becoming more specialized.
Companies like Disney have ignored wage growth and investing in their workers for quite some time; we have a zero sum game where investors expect large dividends and margins every year, and re-investment in the company (people, facilities, R&D) are second tier.
Livable wages are possible, as we see from every other industrialized nation on the planet. But America continues to ignore the issues of our muddled economic system. Capitalism is fine; but mitigation is necessary to halt it's most cruel and unequal impact on people.
No, when the minimum wage was first enacted, it was seen as a livable wage. Any history book will tell you that. That's why it was set at a certain amount (it was 25 cents in 1935).
Which is one reason why corporations with a large profits and a large number of employees, and small businesses with lower margins and smaller labor pools, might have to be treated differently.
John park hopper
Well-Known Member
Blue collar jobs have been shipped overseas and now a lot of college skilled jobs as well are being sent overseas --simply having a college degree is not a assurance you will do well in the market place. The key is having the right college degree that is marketable. unfortunately many go to college and major in unless things.
eliza61nyc
Well-Known Member
I always feel bad about that though @John park hopper . I mean not everyone can be a doctor, lawyer, indian chief (lol those of us old enough to remember that rhyme). My very talented niece wants to be a broadway actress/singer. now of course I think she's talented enough but I give her the entire picture. she's picked a crazy competitive field where the majority don't make it big, she needs to have a back up plan.
Some body has to be the English major, the literature major, etc. we need those guys also. they are what gives life "flavor and color" in my opinion. what do we do with those poor kids, do we say sorry kid you better get a business degree instead?
eliza61nyc
Well-Known Member
it's not whether or not livable wages are possible it's whether every job/positions should automatically get that. Now I don't know about every other industrialized nation, my late husband parents were Portugese and let me tell you NO not every job paid livable wages. the fact is the clam digger is a low wage entry level job and while they all get what we call medical insurance. They have unequal pay and the entry or manual labor jobs are hourly. they have the same issues with poverty as the US. if you are a maid in many of the big cities in Europe just like in the US you will NOT be living la vida loca. Now luckily most don't have the health insurance issues that we have but you are not going to be making a livable wage.
edit: it's been about 6 years since I was back there for an extended time so maybe things have changed
Last edited:
John park hopper
Well-Known Member
I
The problem is there is an over abundance of college educated for the job market, I saw that in the field I retired from. What once required a BS now requires a MA and what once required a MA now requires a PhD. I really don't know what the answer is. Maybe there are just too many people for too few jobs that pay well. What others have posted you could be middle class working a manufacturing job but those jobs are gone or going. It may be a case our standard of living will ultimately decline
JIMINYCR
Well-Known Member
Yes Disney is making money and the shareholders are making money off of their investments. Thats how it works. A business needs to cover all costs, be profitable, have money in reserve and pay out to those who took a risk to invest with them. Disney could pay entry workers $$$$(place any amount here) an hour and everyone would/ could afford any livable state they wish to be in. But how much is that worker worth? A wage is contingent upon what they do, how they do the job, which makes them valuable to hold that position over time. How irreplaceable they are as they improve skills and show work ethics improves their value. Job performance is rated as they have time invested in the job and the value of that person rises to where the company gives raises, bonuses and more responsibilities, even by giving better positions. Paying out an exorbitant wage to someone whose capability and whose future value is unknown is reckless. Thats why starting wages are low until you prove your value. An attraction worker doesnt have the skills or value to Disney as a person in an upper level position. Increasing pay will cause Disney to have to increase costs to cover that. Then hear these folks who want to pay out huge minimum wage .clamor about how expensive a trip is.
I am a business owner who started working minimum wage when it was paltry. Not a living wage. $1.10 an hour. I saw what others above me were making and busted my a@@ to get where I am today. Still working my A@@ off to support my family. Dont insult me by saying I'm unable to connect with those who arent making what I am at this point because I was there and made it by working hard for some pretty harsh people, at poor wages and businesses that crapped on me until I could work past that time in my life. It was worth it. Nothing is going to come by sitting back and expecting it to be given to you. You make yourself worth what you are paid. If Disney cant give you the wage you require than its not the job for you.
I am a business owner who started working minimum wage when it was paltry. Not a living wage. $1.10 an hour. I saw what others above me were making and busted my a@@ to get where I am today. Still working my A@@ off to support my family. Dont insult me by saying I'm unable to connect with those who arent making what I am at this point because I was there and made it by working hard for some pretty harsh people, at poor wages and businesses that crapped on me until I could work past that time in my life. It was worth it. Nothing is going to come by sitting back and expecting it to be given to you. You make yourself worth what you are paid. If Disney cant give you the wage you require than its not the job for you.
Just look at what the kids are making coming out of trade schools now. Carpenters, mechanics, plumbers, electricians and so many others. And with little debt compared to college grads. The available jobs are for their choosing. Once everyone bought into the idea that it was a degree you needed to be successful, not thats not the best option for kids.
So, what did you mean to say when you said that inflation hasn't kept up with the cost of living?
From which business school did you graduate?
Last edited: