Cast member strike vote, June 6, 2007

[teebin]

Welcome to the real world. Where I work, the standard 4% raises this year were more than off-set in increases to the cost of health insurance.

While I wont begrudge anyone for trying to get more money, I'll have to side with management on this one - the prices I pay at Disney are already too high and any raise they give you will be passed on to patron in even more expensive sodas.

It is people like you that think that cheap prices at Walmart are cool, as long as you are not the slave labor in Asia creating the product. I would rather sacrifice $100 to get into Disney on a single day and know that everyone that is working there is getting paid very well for their work.

 

[CBOMB]

Good luck to all the great union CM's out there on your contract negotiations. I hope Disney finally realizes what their most valuable asset is. That of course would be you the CM's who make the magic happen for millions of people each year. I truly appreciate your hard work, and dedication. I know you get the reward of seeing the smiles on all those faces every day. It's just to bad those smiles don't put beans on the plate, and a roof over your head. I don't consider the jobs you do to be menial, and think you can be easily replaced. I happen to think it takes a very special person to be a CM at WDW, and you should be adequately compensated for it. Who said it shouldn't be a lifetime job if that's what you desire. Requesting you to pay the same as executives for your insurance would be ridiculious. To me that would be the same as a person making $200,000.00 being in the same tax bracket of a person making $20,000.00 a year, and yes I know that does happen on rare occasions. To all of those people who say" if you don't like the pay go work to somewhere else ".I say that is the kind of attitude that brought unions in to existance in the first place. Since that attitude seems prevalent today I would say that addresses the issue of why do we need unions today. I know union dues can sometimes be a hardship, but be proud that you paid for your benefits. Unions are required in a right to work state to provide the same services for both members, and non-members. Not to many places around that have to provide services for free. I can almost besure that no bad CM ever got his job back because the union forced the company to take him back. I do know he can get his job back when a compromise is reached with the company or when he wins it back at panel or through arbitration. You go ahead, and fight for what's right for the employees of WDW. I supprt you 100%, and I love Disney. For the folks that think WDW can replace it's striking CM's I hope you don't have to see what the real shortage, and labor replacements from the Orlando area will do to the Walt Disney World Resort.

 

[raven]

It is people like you that think that cheap prices at Walmart are cool, as long as you are not the slave labor in Asia creating the product. I would rather sacrifice $100 to get into Disney on a single day and know that everyone that is working there is getting paid very well for their work.

Uh, I wouldn't. If they chose to work there knowing they pay very poorly then that is their problem. Why should I pay more money for a ticket because some people don't want to find a job that actually pays more?

I feel their pain but I used to work for Disney as well. I worked there for the perks, not the money. Disney knows that people will line up to work for them and they can pay poorly because of that.

 

[CBOMB]

Welcome to the real world. Where I work, the standard 4% raises this year were more than off-set in increases to the cost of health insurance.

While I wont begrudge anyone for trying to get more money, I'll have to side with management on this one - the prices I pay at Disney are already too high and any raise they give you will be passed on to patron in even more expensive sodas.

Try saying that when your making $8.00 an hour. I would be much more concerned about that extra 25 cents I was paying for a soad going toward some executives bonus, not a CM salary.

Uh, I wouldn't. If they chose to work there knowing they pay very poorly then that is their problem. Why should I pay more money for a ticket because some people don't want to find a job that actually pays more?

I feel their pain but I used to work for Disney as well. I worked there for the perks, not the money. Disney knows that people will line up to work for them and they can pay poorly because of that.

I'm glad that works for you. I would much rather see people make a deceit wage especially when they work for a huge corporation with huge executive salaries, and bonuses. I do not begrudge executives of a great salary, I just think CM should be compensated fairly. If people are lining up to work at WDW why are they understaffed? I'm sure you do feel their pain. I hope it's not the pain on trying to make a living while trying to live the Disney Dream.I think teebin said it best above. I would much rather pay more for my vacation, and continue to get the quality service out of the great CM at WDW.

 

[GhostHostMatt]

I noticed earlier in this discussion (1 or 2 pages back I think) that there are union and Non-union CMs, and that it's a choice.....is that correct? What exactly are the differences involved? Is there a benefit of one over the other? Are there certain areas where being a union CM is required?
I'm just curious.

Good Luck to you CMs! I hope everything works out for you!

 

[DisneyPirate85]

GOOD LUCK CM"S.....Do we have any word when we will know something on the outcome? I tried to keep up with the pages all day but have to work too....If its already been mentioned sorry....

 

[mkt]

I noticed earlier in this discussion (1 or 2 pages back I think) that there are union and Non-union CMs, and that it's a choice.....is that correct? What exactly are the differences involved? Is there a benefit of one over the other? Are there certain areas where being a union CM is required?

There are areas in WDW that are Union and non-Union. In the Union areas, membership is not required, since Florida is a right-to-work state.

 

[brainpile3000]

It is people like you that think that cheap prices at Walmart are cool, as long as you are not the slave labor in Asia creating the product. I would rather sacrifice $100 to get into Disney on a single day and know that everyone that is working there is getting paid very well for their work.

oh please....

 

[Hakunamatata]

It is people like you that think that cheap prices at Walmart are cool, as long as you are not the slave labor in Asia creating the product. I would rather sacrifice $100 to get into Disney on a single day and know that everyone that is working there is getting paid very well for their work.

And herein lies the problem. Very well to one person would not be very well to another. So who sets the standard? What goober in the government that "has your best interest" in mind sets the standard? The same goober that runs the post office or passport office? No, the market sets the standard for what a job is worth. There are thousands of forces at work that affect the value of a job. If broom pushing jobs at Disney were worth $20 an hour, Disney would be paying $20 per hour.

People, Disney is a business. They are in business to make money. Think of it this way.....Say you are that guy pushing a broom at Disney and running your own little business. Lets call it Tebin's Broom Pushing Services (TBPS). Part of the cost of TBPS is gas to get too and from the place where TBPS pushes brooms. TBPS is going to try to pay the least amount it can for gas so TBPS does not have to spend more money than necessary on overhead costs. So, using your thought process, TBPS should pay more for gas just so the guy inside at the cash register can be "paid very well". Makes no sense.

 

[rtiller]

Unfortunately, even those with the best, most altruistic reasons for working at Disney still have to feed, clothe, and house themselves.

Disney pays pathetic wages. You can make more starting at McDonalds than you can at Disney. And McDonalds is a WHOLE lot less stringent on it's employees (from everything from appearance standards to simply being able to park and walk 15 feet to work as opposed to hiking into a theme park every day from the employee lots).

It's no wonder they have such a hard time keeping good help. Some smarty pants will come into this thread and say, "Would you pay more for your ticket for them to get more money?" and some would say yes, some would say no. That denies the other option - stop paying 100's of K a year to the "VP's in charge of VP's" and all the middle management and give it to the people who count most in the guest experience, the front of the line workers.

It's really simple - Disney is simply not a great employer on many levels. That's why when I moved to Orlando for awhile when I was younger I chose not to work there. It made no sense to when there are so many other employment opportunities in the area that don't demand nearly as much from you and pay better.

I hope they do strike; maybe then Disney will wake up and start paying more decent wages. It may cause havoc for awhile, but in the long run everyone would be happier except for those middle-management folks who are so busy doing nothing.

AEfx

I guess I don't understand...if it is so much better to work for McDonalds (or another company) why don't the unhappy employees go work there? I understand that you don't work for Disney but I'm basing my response on your comments (which are probably the feelings of many who do and don't work for Disney).

I feel this way when I hear people complain about their employment with Walmart too. If you don't like it, go work somewhere else. If it's too tough to find a job somewhere else...be happy you have a paying job.

That being said I hope things work out for both Disney and the CM's...I'm a fan of both every time I visit the parks.

 

[Jimmy Thick]

Sorry, but the CM's already lost this little squabble the second they relented striking and agreed to extensions. This gave Disney the needed time to plan for the strike, no matter what the CM's think.

Striking now, no matter what the CM's think or what their union tell's them, is foolish and they are just losing income. The CM's are the only loser's here, the union will get theirs, and Disney will keep on chugging.

Sorry.

 

[Hakunamatata]

Sorry, but the CM's already lost this little squabble the second they relented striking and agreed to extensions. This gave Disney the needed time to plan for the strike, no matter what the CM's think.

Striking now, no matter what the CM's think or what their union tell's them, is foolish and they are just losing income. The CM's are the only loser's here, the union will get theirs, and Disney will keep on chugging.

Sorry.

Im sure Disney has a set contingency for strikes reguardless if they are in contract negotiations or not. Its like saying that communities on the gulf coast only develope hurricane contingencies after hurricane season starts. They dont, they work on them year round having them ready way in advance of the first thunderstorm that looks like it could turn bad....

 

[alecshawn]

It is people like you that think that cheap prices at Walmart are cool, as long as you are not the slave labor in Asia creating the product. I would rather sacrifice $100 to get into Disney on a single day and know that everyone that is working there is getting paid very well for their work.

The most STUPID comment ever. Its called Capitalism. If you dont like it...Move to China. If people dont make enough money,They can change jobs. Folks that have success in life do it EVERYDAY.

 

[alecshawn]

oh please....

forgive...teebin...He/she is a radical socialist. Ignorant of Capitalism.

 

[daklimation]

Try saying that when your making $8.00 an hour. I would be much more concerned about that extra 25 cents I was paying for a soad going toward some executives bonus, not a CM salary.

Even less for a huge number of CMs.

 

[mkt]

The most STUPID comment ever. Its called Capitalism. If you dont like it...Move to China. If people dont make enough money,They can change jobs. Folks that have success in life do it EVERYDAY.

Actually,

if you want to get picky, Communism is only a political practice in China. As far as economics go, China is the only place in the world that true capitalism exists in. Not the US. Not New York, Not Los Angeles. China, Hong Kong, Macau, Shanghai, Beijing. That is the new land of opportunity (with fewer freedoms laced with more common sense)

 

[Krozar]

As for CP goes, I do pretty well money-wise. This is probably because I have lived on my own without parental assistance for over 6 years. I know how to eat well at the most of $30 a week. (trick I learned in China). Actually, I have 3 checks I have yet to cash. The housing at Chatham is supurb. I payed nearly $400 a month back home to live in the ghetto. That's ~$100 per week and doesn't include power which is amazingly high there for some reason (often over $100/mo) despite rarely running the A/C in the hot Texas summers and having guests hate to even be at my place. Chatham is all inclusive with power, internet, security, and TRANSPORTATION. It's very nice, like a resort. It reminds me a lot of the Caribbean Beach Resort. But, I know how to live tight. I can live a month on a single weekly check and have a damn good time doing it.

CP can be nice for some people. But yes, kids spoiled by mommy and daddy might not have a good time on the program.

Sorry to go off topic, but wanted to point out that people can enjoy the CP experience and get something out of it.

As for striking. Personally, I hope they get what they want. Really unbalanced scale in America which is driving out the middle class. Centralized wealth is a major problem in the world. Such as Eisner's 90+ million $ severance package.

 

[mkt]

forgive...teebin...He/she is a radical socialist. Ignorant of Capitalism.

It's just a total shame that the worlds largest Socialist/Communist Nation is also the worlds largest up and coming Capitalist nation.

Don't confuse political systems with economic systems

 

[alecshawn]

It's just a total shame that the worlds largest Socialist/Communist Nation is also the worlds largest up and coming Capitalist nation.

Don't confuse political systems with economic systems

Capitalism ALWAYS prevails. It will conquer evil EVERYTIME.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Capitalism ALWAYS prevails. It will conquer evil EVERYTIME.

an economic system conquering evil? All I know is Mickey Mouse conquers evil every night in the Hollywood Hills Amphitheatre (and not on nearly enough nights on the Rivers of America...)