Daily Beast - "Workers Reveal Disney Is Covering Up Its COVID Cases"

[_caleb]

Yes, you are absolutely right from the start. I agree with you more than my opinions.

I would hope so, because your opinions didn’t read the article you posted about!

 

[DoleWhipDrea]

I can understand some CMs and their family members being concerned. CDC recommendations or no, it’s obvious that we’re still learning things about this virus. What’s been going around in California has, from reports I’ve read, had a higher likelihood of hospitalizations and deaths. It’s not some major conspiracy that some CMs were having concerns about returning to work when they’re getting messages from coworkers that CMs are testing positive for COVID...and it’s not a shocker to think that Disney would be trying to keep things quiet.

What’s messed up is potentially not keeping employees quarantined for as long as they should, and not notifying coworkers if they were in contact with someone that tested positive for COVID in a timely manner to keep people safe and prevent the spread. Sadly, I can say that this is happening with more than one supposed “reputable” company. Ultimately, people are scared of losing their jobs, so many are staying quiet.

 

[Communicora]

BTW how are you going to quarantine employees as long as possible? That's called kidnapping first off, if you physical try to do it. Is Disney giving them free room and board? Still paying them for quarantining?

Another problem is poor people live with more people in their housing. What exactly is some guy who makes $10 an hour and lives with 6 people in a 1600 sg ft house going to do? Move out to a hotel? He can't afford that so he will be sitting there around the other people in that house. Again fantasy land, sounds nice but impracticable.

There are public health laws that have been on the books for years that can enforce quarantines. It should be used in extreme cases.

The second problem you suggest is a challenge, but it has a straightforward solution. In some places they have opened facilities (usually hotels dedicated to this purpose) where people who are sick can isolate. This is something all of the states should be able to do and it's a shame they haven't done so already.

Worker protections could be added so that there could be consistency in how employers handle tracing and notification. This would give workers, their families and the customers security that infections are being handled appropriately.

These are very practical measures they could take that would make things safer for everyone.

 

[ppete1975]

click bait.... which is what journalism has become

 

[larryz]

Blame it on Rupert Cronkite, Chancellor and Reynolds

FTFY

 

[jprusso]

The article is bs. The Gardner contracting the virus and reporting it to Disney with their 1 week wait to report leaving others at risk would never occur under union rules and state COVID laws. He would have been sent home immediately and contact tracing commenced. He would not Be allowed to work for a week while positive. Disney is very strict when it comes to liability. Furthermore the article states that everything is word of mouth and no one will speak on the record because of their contracts forbiddance to talk to media. I believe they all meet at the water cooler to talk about “stories“ they hear that support their agenda and or fears. Credible journal source for an article maybe. Credible sources For the article well we don’t know since they can’t be verified. if a higher ranking employee comes out as a whistleblower then the article would be credible. Just some journalist pushing their own agenda. Reader beware.

 

[flynnibus]

It's true that HIPAA prevents the disclosure of protected health information, but only by the entities to which it applies and it does not generally apply to employers such as Disney.

I'm the first to step in when people over commit what HIPAA is... but Disney handling the medical history of its employee is a covered case. Disney can't simply goto a team and say "Hey everyone, Joe tested positive, you all need to go home". They would say "You have all been in close contact with someone who has tested positive, you all need go to home..."

The employer is obligated to notify the other employees, but they can't involuntarily disclose an individual's medical details to others, so they simply don't acknowledge/disclose who/how... just make sure they trace and communicate with the right people.

 

[flynnibus]

The whole news article can be summed up as "Employees are upset Disney isn't reporting case totals as they think they should be" -- well, this is because they don't have to.

Half truths like "disney not telling union people about cases..." can be true. Note the article doesn't make the effort to say unions aren't being told about cases related to THEIR workers (there are multiple unions...).

 

[_caleb]

You guys live in a fantasy world if you think a place the size of Disney World won't have continual corona virus cases. Straight probabilities.

It doesn't seem like anyone thinks Disney World won't have cases. Why would you assume that?

I can tell you where I am the hospitality places have given up on the whole virus thing. It's go out of business or carry on. If you're sick, go home is what happens, as far as anything else nothing happens. Restaurants are dropping like flies. When all your financial life is based on your small business, restaurant or whatever. It truly has become a matter of close, possibility of losing all your money or open up and go back to full speed a head.

Wow. It's sad that people think only in terms of extremes. Good thing we have options between "business as usual" and "complete shut down."

BTW how are you going to quarantine employees as long as possible? That's called kidnapping first off, if you physical try to do it. Is Disney giving them free room and board? Still paying them for quarantining?

Nobody is suggesting physically restraining anyone. For CMs (what the article and this thread is about) quarantine means "don't come to work." Some models do call for paying employees a reduced income during quarantine.

For park guests (which I think you're talking about), quarantine means, "don't come into common areas on-property." It's pretty much the same thing we'd want someone to do if they had any infectious disease (as you mention in your final paragraph).

Another problem is poor people live with more people in their housing. What exactly is some guy who makes $10 an hour and lives with 6 people in a 1600 sg ft house going to do? Move out to a hotel? He can't afford that so he will be sitting there around the other people in that house. Again fantasy land, sounds nice but impracticable.

Right. People with lower income levels suffer greater effects of the pandemic than those with means. And I believe you're right that they may live in closer physical proximity to others, so it's even more important that we do all we can to keep them safe. This is directly relatable to The Daily Beast article, which alleges that low-earning Disney CMs are being called back to work in close contact with COVID-positive co-workers and feel particularly vulnerable.

Quarantine isn't fun, but I would think most people could isolate themselves in a room or area of the house/apartment for the requisite time period, don't you?

I'll say this again. If you are in poor health you need to stay away from everyone and quarantine yourself. The longer this goes on the more young people will not care if the old and weak die. Sorry but that's the way it will work out.

I agree! And any young people who don't care about "the weak" aren't really thinking clearly about how society works and what kind of country we want to live in. The more we think like a community (instead of everyone only thinking of themselves), the better we will fare in the pandemic (and in life in general).

 

[_caleb]

The article is bs. The Gardner contracting the virus and reporting it to Disney with their 1 week wait to report leaving others at risk would never occur under union rules and state COVID laws. He would have been sent home immediately and contact tracing commenced. He would not Be allowed to work for a week while positive. Disney is very strict when it comes to liability. Furthermore the article states that everything is word of mouth and no one will speak on the record because of their contracts forbiddance to talk to media. I believe they all meet at the water cooler to talk about “stories“ they hear that support their agenda and or fears. Credible journal source for an article maybe. Credible sources For the article well we don’t know since they can’t be verified. if a higher ranking employee comes out as a whistleblower then the article would be credible. Just some journalist pushing their own agenda. Reader beware.

You start this post with "the article is bs," but then go on to say that it is news that CMs are claiming that Disney is doing shady stuff. Why did you do that?

It would certainly be news if these claims turn out to be true–as you mention, Disney is very strict when it comes to liability. But the CMs in the article claim that there is a lack of organization within the company, and that different managers/supervisors are all handling things differently- and in some cases, contrary to Disney's stated policy.

 

[flynnibus]

It would certainly be news if these claims turn out to be true–as you mention, Disney is very strict when it comes to liability. But the CMs in the article claim that there is a lack of organization within the company, and that different managers/supervisors are all handling things differently- and in some cases, contrary to Disney's stated policy.

Wait a minute... you're saying front-line workers in a 30k+ worker company complain about their managers and disconnects because things don't happen like they think are supposed to?

STOP THE PRESSES!!

 

[_caleb]

The whole news article can be summed up as "Employees are upset Disney isn't reporting case totals as they think they should be" -- well, this is because they don't have to.

If you summed up the article like that, you'd be twisting what was actually reported.

Half truths like "disney not telling union people about cases..." can be true. Note the article doesn't make the effort to say unions aren't being told about cases related to THEIR workers (there are multiple unions...).

"Four sources familiar with the matter told The Daily Beast that Disney has kept the total number of positive cases at the district under wraps, alerting unions only to the positive test results of their members—often days after the fact, risking further exposure—and leaving workers to guess for themselves why colleagues disappeared for days at a time, or why 11 people from the 12-person Horticulture Irrigation team didn’t show up to work for a full week.

“We want to know if any cast members have tested positive. But Disney has taken the position that they’re only going to tell us if our cast members do,” said Matt Bell, a spokesperson for UFCW Local 324, one of a dozen unions representing workers, or “cast members,” at Disneyland. “What is supposed to happen is contact tracing—find out who was exposed and quarantine them as well. I can’t confirm that they’ve done that.”

"Communication about outbreaks was unclear, even for high-ranking members of unions. No one across 11 unions contacted by The Daily Beast could confirm the total number of COVID-19 cases among the workforce."

 

[_caleb]

Wait a minute... you're saying front-line workers in a 30k+ worker company complain about their managers and disconnects because things don't happen like they think are supposed to?

STOP THE PRESSES!!

Of course there will be complaints. But this particular complaint, if true, would have pretty far-reaching implications for guest and CM safety. And that's why the story needs further investigation (by journalists, by Disney, and by the government officials the CMs reached out to).

 

[flynnibus]

If you summed up the article like that, you'd be twisting what was actually reported.

No, because the cites you quote prove my point exactly.

People are complaining about what they WANT from Disney - not what Disney owes them.

"Communication about outbreaks was unclear, even for high-ranking members of unions. No one across 11 unions contacted by The Daily Beast could confirm the total number of COVID-19 cases among the workforce."

Disney doesn't have to tell them that. Disney tells each union about the workers that each union is responsible for.

The underlying message in the story is --they think there should be-- some headline report about how many total covid cases there are at Disney.

Disney doesn't have to do that.

 

[_caleb]

I'm the first to step in when people over commit what HIPAA is... but Disney handling the medical history of its employee is a covered case. Disney can't simply goto a team and say "Hey everyone, Joe tested positive, you all need to go home". They would say "You have all been in close contact with someone who has tested positive, you all need go to home..."

The employer is obligated to notify the other employees, but they can't involuntarily disclose an individual's medical details to others, so they simply don't acknowledge/disclose who/how... just make sure they trace and communicate with the right people.

Why would you assume anyone is asking for Disney to disclose more than they should/legally can? As far as I'm aware, nobody is asking for the first kind of notice you describe. They are saying that Disney is failing to provide the second (and actually reasonable) notice: "You may have been exposed, please go home and quarantine."

 

[flynnibus]

Why would you assume anyone is asking for Disney to disclose more than they should/legally can? As far as I'm aware, nobody is asking for the first kind of notice you describe. They are saying that Disney is failing to provide the second (and actually reasonable) notice: "You may have been exposed, please go home and quarantine."

1) Read the post - I was responding to a specific point brought by another poster - not the article

2) When you look at the specific cites (except in one case) in this article... that's basically what it is. Cast saying Disney isn't telling them about other CMs. It's a lot of projecting what they think they company should be doing, vs any facts about what they really know about the situations. It's the watercooler talk... "oh I heard all these people were sick... but Disney didn't say anything!"..

 

[_caleb]

No, because the cites you quote prove my point exactly.

People are complaining about what they WANT from Disney - not what Disney owes them.

"Communication about outbreaks was unclear, even for high-ranking members of unions. No one across 11 unions contacted by The Daily Beast could confirm the total number of COVID-19 cases among the workforce."

Disney doesn't have to tell them that. Disney tells each union about the workers that each union is responsible for.

The underlying message in the story is --they think there should be-- some headline report about how many total covid cases there are at Disney.

Disney doesn't have to do that.

They do indeed want to know how many cases (and likely in which teams/departments these cases occurred). But you can see that because there are multiple labor unions representing CMs, there is a lot of overlap- workers from one union working alongside workers who belong to another. So if a union is only told of cases among it's own workers (which Disney may not be legally obligated to do), that information isn't very helpful to keeping workers safe from exposure or from transmitting the virus from one exposed CM to another (or to a guest).

And it would indeed be news if a growing number of people want to know how many total cases have occurred at Disney.

 

[flynnibus]

They do indeed want to know how many cases (and likely in which teams/departments these cases occurred). But you can see that because there are multiple labor unions representing CMs, there is a lot of overlap- workers from one union working alongside workers who belong to another. So if a union is only told of cases among it's own workers (which Disney may not be legally obligated to do), that information isn't very helpful to keeping workers safe from exposure or from transmitting the virus from one exposed CM to another (or to a guest).

And it would indeed be news if a growing number of people want to know how many total cases have occurred at Disney.

They aren't saying Disney isn't doing contact tracing. They are saying Disney isn't giving them the info they want, so they can scrutinize Disney's actions on their own terms.

 

[DG32]

Heaven forbid anyone should ever get sick.

People have been coming to work at WDW virus-positive for decades.

There is literally next to zero actual threat from COVID. Time to get over it.

 

[_caleb]

They aren't saying Disney isn't doing contact tracing. They are saying Disney isn't giving them the info they want, so they can scrutinize Disney's actions on their own terms.

I'm not sure it's clear just yet what exactly the CMs featured in the article are accusing Disney of doing/not doing. If their "watercooler talk" is true, departments/teams within Disney are not doing contact tracing. But they are definitely saying that Disney isn't giving them all the info they want.

I'd argue that it's in the public's (and the guests'!) best interest to know how many cases–among CMs and/or guests–have occurred on property and exactly what was done in each of those instances.

Everyone keeps saying, "of course there are going to be cases inside the company!" That's right! But as fans, guests, investors, and neighbors, wouldn't we like to know how those are being handled?