Disgruntled Disney Workers Give Leaflets At OIA

[jcraycraft]

http://www.local6.com/news/3853747/detail.html


Disgruntled Disney Workers Give Leaflets At OIA

POSTED: 3:13 pm EDT October 26, 2004
UPDATED: 5:26 pm EDT October 26, 2004

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Walt Disney World's largest union is upset over stalled contract negotiations with the resort, so the workers are taking their complaints to the tourists.

Members of the Service Trades Council Union were at Orlando International Airport this afternoon, handing out leaflets to air travelers.

The union represents 22-thousand workers ranging from hotel maids to park ticket-takers to costumed characters. Union membership is close to half of the park's 53-thousand employees,

The leaflets handed to tourists claim Disney is cutting workers' benefits and raising the cost of health insurance. And the union says those offers are coming despite Disney's double-digit profits.

Disney officials say their offers have been fair, and they want to settle this at the negotiating table.




http://www.wftv.com/employment/3853661/detail.html

Disgruntled Disney Workers Give Leaflets At Tourist-Heavy OIA

POSTED: 2:59 pm EDT October 26, 2004
UPDATED: 5:48 pm EDT October 26, 2004

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Walt Disney World's largest union, upset over stalled contract negotiations, took their arguments directly to tourists Tuesday, handing out leaflets at Orlando International Airport.

The Service Trades Council Union, representing 22,000 of the theme park's 53,000 employees, recently has taken to publicly showing its unhappiness over talks that began in March. Earlier this month, union leaders distributed fliers at the opening of a World of Disney store in New York and at a Disney on Ice show in Philadelphia.

"Our concern is to get a fair contract and we will take our story wherever we have to, to whomever we have to, however we have to, to encourage Disney to be reasonable at the bargaining table," said Morty Miller, president of the union UNITE HERE! Local 362, one of six unions comprising the Service Trades Council Union.

Union officials oppose the elimination of some overtime provisions, a significant increase in the cost of health care insurance and a proposal to not offer new hires a 401K plan instead of a pension plan.

The union's workers, employed as everything from hotel maids to ticket-takers to costumed characters, resoundingly rejected, 3,659 votes to 96, Disney's last offer of a three-year contract earlier this month.

Talks are to resume Wednesday, according to Disney spokeswoman Jacquee Polak. The old contract has been extended to Nov. 4.

"Right now, we're focusing on common ground," Polak said. "We're proposed a fair and competitive package. Unfortunately, these are difficult discussions, particularly when you're dealing with the national crisis of rising health care costs."

A longtime Disney critic said the union's plea to the public hits Disney right in the company's Achilles heel -- its ferociously maintained image.

"The union is attacking the brand to the tourists, who are the consumers of the brand," said Rollins College political science professor Rick Fogelsong. "So, from a political standpoint it makes sense."

But an industry expert wonder dismissed the effectiveness of the union's tactic.

"It isn't going to have an impact on attendance because the people that are coming via airplane to visit the parks, they're there," said Dennis Spiegel, president of International Theme Park Services Inc., a Cincinnati-based consulting firm. "To me, it's an ineffective way to do it; I'd rather see them sitting at the table and negotiating a little bit more.

"It's kind of a cheap shot."

The air travelers at the airport seemed nonplussed by the leafletting. Only a few people stopped to speak with the union members while most others took a flyer without breaking stride.

Bill Smith, a tourist who flew from Boston with his wife and two children, said he would pay little if any attention to the labor strife while visiting Disney's parks.

"It's a normal corporation, just like anyone else," Smith said.

_______________________________________________________
Morty Miller (left), president of the Hotel Employees & Restaurant Employees Union Local 362, hands out information sheets outlining the labor issues that Disney employees are having with the company to tourists at Orlando International Airport in Orlando today.

 

[se8472]

I support the union!

 

[jcraycraft]

I support the CMs and Disney :sohappy:

Can I do that :hammer:

 

[Jekyll]

GO CMS!!! I would even take a ticket hike with in reason to support this...As a stock holder I feel as though CM's are ripped from the Disney Store to the PARKS!!!

 

[HennieBogan1966]

Let me get this straight Jekyll

You'd be okay with an increase in ticket prices to help pay for an increase in wages for the cms? Hey, need any golf clubs? I'm willing to bump my prices for a little "extra" in my pocket. So, I'm wondering how many of you out there are willing to pay extra for lifes everyday needs? Now, I know Disney isn't an everyday need BUT: Why is it that in support of the UNION, and let's be honest, that's what you are saying. You're in support of the UNION; what about the higher gas prices? okay with that? higher health insurance costs? okay with that? higher food prices? okay with that? If not, why not? I mean, you need food don't you? You need fuel don't you? and health insurance?

And to read the article, Disney has extended the current contract until Nov. 4th. However, SOME cms/union membership have taken to handing out leaflets, badmouthing the very company that's paying them for a living. Umm, question, if you don't like your job, why don't you just go get another one? Why is it that someone (i.e. Jim Hill), can just write articles critical of Disney, and everyone here calls him a hack, a cheap shot artist, etc. etc. But when DISNEY EMPLOYEES take to the streets to take cheap shots at their own company, it's viewed as people taking a stand, doing the right thing? And further, they view this as their attempt to tarnish the precious "image" of Disney. This image that they (the union members) claim to care so much about.

Put down the picket signs, the leaflets, go back to the negotiating table and back to work. If not, then go work somewhere else.

 

[Jekyll]

You'd be okay with an increase in ticket prices to help pay for an increase in wages for the cms? Hey, need any golf clubs? I'm willing to bump my prices for a little "extra" in my pocket. So, I'm wondering how many of you out there are willing to pay extra for lifes everyday needs? Now, I know Disney isn't an everyday need BUT: Why is it that in support of the UNION, and let's be honest, that's what you are saying. You're in support of the UNION; what about the higher gas prices? okay with that? higher health insurance costs? okay with that? higher food prices? okay with that? If not, why not? I mean, you need food don't you? You need fuel don't you? and health insurance?

And to read the article, Disney has extended the current contract until Nov. 4th. However, SOME cms/union membership have taken to handing out leaflets, badmouthing the very company that's paying them for a living. Umm, question, if you don't like your job, why don't you just go get another one? Why is it that someone (i.e. Jim Hill), can just write articles critical of Disney, and everyone here calls him a hack, a cheap shot artist, etc. etc. But when DISNEY EMPLOYEES take to the streets to take cheap shots at their own company, it's viewed as people taking a stand, doing the right thing? And further, they view this as their attempt to tarnish the precious "image" of Disney. This image that they (the union members) claim to care so much about.

Put down the picket signs, the leaflets, go back to the negotiating table and back to work. If not, then go work somewhere else.

CM show up with smiles on there faces everyday for dirt pay. I don't make much money but believe in paying for a product that is as wonderful as my experiences in disney. Think if you tagged one dollar onto ticket prices you could cover the cost of what the union would like...that isn't much.

 

[Jekyll Baker]

Just out of curiosity, how much of a CM's paycheck goes toward union dues?

 

[Scooter]

Most non management Disney Employees are Students and Retired people, who work to supplement their incomes and educations.

They all know what the pay is when they get hired.
So this excuse about dirt pay doesn't cut the mustard in my book.

I don't know of ANY non management Disney Castmembers who are attempting to support a family on Disney wages.
Most are either 2nd income adults or kids.

Most (not ALL mind you) come to work for Disney for the Love of Disney.

While I agree that yearly raises should be offered, they don't have to be.
The cost of medical insurance has skyrocketed over the last 10 years forcing ALL employers to cut benefits and raise insurance rates..not just Disney.

While I have always supported unions and have been a part of many, I don't support handing out leaflets at Orlando International Airport.

The tourists have nothing to do with Disney Castmembers wages and therefore should not be asked to get involved.

 

[Jekyll]

Most (not ALL mind you) come to work for Disney for the Love of Disney.

this is true. But, Mc Donalds employees make more. You have to be a waiter or a bartender/back to make any money in disney.

 

[Atta83]

I don't know of ANY non management Disney Castmembers who are attempting to support a family on Disney wages.

I know a few that work for Disney and that is a way to support the family and they have one to two kids. THey are there, you just got to look.

 

[speck76]

I don't think this is very good for tourism or the image of the city.

I don't blame the union members, they have an issue that they feel needs to be resolved, but their issue is with WDW, and they should leave the tourists out of it for the good of the city and the good of the industry.

 

[Jekyll]

I don't think this is very good for tourism or the image of the city.

I don't blame the union members, they have an issue that they feel needs to be resolved, but their issue is with WDW, and they should leave the tourists out of it for the good of the city and the good of the industry.

That much I agree with.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Yeah, alienating the tourists is not a good tactic. Hopefuly they wont do that on Disney Property, because thats a major no-no.

 

[Jekyll]

Yeah, alienating the tourists is not a good tactic. Hopefuly they wont do that on Disney Property, because thats a major no-no.

They never would...At least I hope not.

 

[jcraycraft]

Yeah, alienating the tourists is not a good tactic. Hopefuly they wont do that on Disney Property, because thats a major no-no.

I would hate to see this right before the "welcome to WDW" signs. Not a good start to a vacation. We are going to fly in on Thanksgiving Day for a few days at WDW then off on 7-day Disney cruise then back to WDW for another 2 days. Hope things get settled soon!! I just want to say that CMs are a big part of making a WDW vacation special. This goes from housekeeping to ride operators. I just want to say thank you again to any CMs here………Thanks and see you in a few weeks. :sohappy:

 

[cherrynegra]

I personally don't see anything wrong with the CM union members passing out leaflets at the airport. The CMs are merely disseminating information about their contract negotiations with Disney management. And people can either choose to accept the leaflets or not. San Francisco is in the middle of a rather ugly hotel strike currently and our mayor is threatening to get involved by joining the picket lines if the hotels don't come back to the table. Do I think this will tarnish the city's image and stop people from coming? No. And I might be optomistic, but the same might apply to Orlando.

 

[STGRhost]

Without letting the public know what they're fighting for, the union doesn't have much leverage. They can threaten to strike, but that almost never works - Florida is a Right to Work state, so many of the CMs the union represents are not even members, and often (in my experience) most people aren't willing to give up the pay that a strike involves. So, unless they somehow take their fight public, they really don't have a leg to stand on.

Without knowing the numbers involved( too lazy to look right now) I would ere on the side of the union. We all know that the upper (executive) management at Disney makes good money, so there is no real reason that the hourly CMs shouldn't reap some of the benefits of thier labor.

And I knew plenty of folks who are trying to support themselves and/or their families as hourly workers at Disney. There are far fewer management positions than there are hourly jobs (and the opportunities decrease exponentially as you move up the food chain.) Sure, many people move to Florida "for the love of Disney", but should they be penalized for it? Should they have to be trapped in a low-paying job because they're loyal to a company who is not loyal to them in return? Disney often sets the bar as far as salary and benefits in central Florida, so it's not like there are too many other opportunities for people to just quit and go somehwere "better".

Maybe these CMs at IoA weren't trying to "tarnish" the Disney name as much as they were trying to expose the powers-that-[currently]-be for who they are? I don't really have a problem with that, as long as they do it peacefully and legally.

If you (or Disney) want CMs that work hard, treat people the way they expect to be treated, and smile, you have to pay them to do those things. You have to treat them like they're special, so they turn around and treat the guests that way.

Sorry - I'm speaking as someone who's been on that side of things. I worked for Disney. I did a damn good job in return, and I worked with some amazing, talented people. The parks made a profit, and even though I'm working my butt off, and trying to adhere to the Traditions (remember those?) and values of the Company, I watch friends and co-workers get laid off, have their hours cut, lose benefits, etc. It gets a little hard to take, especially when the management (and people who aren't even part of the Company) tell me that I'm expendable.
(Also, I'm tired, so I may not bemaking much sense... :snore: )

 

[mkt]

What I find funny is that a lot of the people handing out pamphlets weren't even CMs, but rather union reps that work for the union and NOT Disney. In a city like Orlando, where Disney and the local Government agencies are just about the only decent sized Union Houses, you won't get a lot of support for this... Florida is a right to work state, and if a CM decides they want to cross picket lines to support their family, they can.

 

[thedisneyfan]

You'd be okay with an increase in ticket prices to help pay for an increase in wages for the cms? Hey, need any golf clubs? I'm willing to bump my prices for a little "extra" in my pocket. So, I'm wondering how many of you out there are willing to pay extra for lifes everyday needs? Now, I know Disney isn't an everyday need BUT: Why is it that in support of the UNION, and let's be honest, that's what you are saying. You're in support of the UNION; what about the higher gas prices? okay with that? higher health insurance costs? okay with that? higher food prices? okay with that? If not, why not? I mean, you need food don't you? You need fuel don't you? and health insurance?

If not, then go work somewhere else.

First off your claim that an increase in the low rank CMs wages is the only reason responsible for high costs is plainly and flatly untrue. Unions are not responsible for increased costs of the theme parks or other everday items. I think that CEO and executive pay(offs) has a huge impact upon the everyday cost of items. Think of what a CEO that rips off hundreds of millions of dollars in pay and perks does to the bottom line of a company and the price tag of the items that company sells. And that's just the CEO, let's not forget all the other senior executives that get paid big bucks like I don't know a guy Eisner picked as President who worked for 14 months and walked away with $140 million+ as Eisner then got rid of him. (Too bad Eisner didn't go as well). Then let's look at the wonderful decisions that such said CEO makes such as the $300 million+ paid for the stupid Fox Family Channel, over $1 Billion for the failed GO Network, the loss of many corporate sponsorships, the loss of fantastic partnerships (like PIXAR), the cost incurred because of the unfortunate deaths caused by the executive decisions to cut maintenance and safety budgets at the parks, unregulated medical and insurance companies that continue to charge whatever they want (not within the control of the UNIONS or the CMs) for less and less service. The fact is that it is the overall excessive corporate greed and the executives that gobble up more and more of the profits and control of the companies as if they were the sole owners that are driving up the overall costs not the CMs who depend upon that weekly paycheck to meet basic needs. I don't recall any corporate executives or CEOS wondering if they can make the rent, food, or other basic day-to-day living costs? It's amazing how someone can call the low hourly workers greedy when CEO pay has been at an all-time high. Yet they stand back and say we got to cut employees to make the company better (codeword for the $50 million I made this year needs to be $75 million next year). That's a disgrace. I don't see any CMs out there making demands for 50%, 25%, or even 10% pay raises a year, but some how they are greedy and responsible for driving up the costs. It's ok for someone making $50 million/year to get a $25 million dollar bonus, but God forbid the worker whom makes $8.00 an hour to get 50 pennies an hour raise because that would jack up the prices. GIVE ME A BREAK!

Too bad Eisner forgot that its the CMs that we the visitors and guests and consumers SEE as DISNEY. I think that I would want to treat these people just a little bit better as they are a desperately needed component to Disney Co.'s well-being. If any one of us made just one of the enormous blunders mentioned above would we still be working. But only in corporate America is it ok to put the responsibilty for such things upon the lowly hourly worker. Maybe these executives and CEOs should go work somewhere else and stop pilfering the corporations they were EMPLOYED to lead and direct. Any more of this leadership and I think all CMs will be looking for work elsewhere anyway.

 

[thedisneyfan]

Most non management Disney Employees are Students and Retired people, who work to supplement their incomes and educations.

They all know what the pay is when they get hired.
So this excuse about dirt pay doesn't cut the mustard in my book.

I don't know of ANY non management Disney Castmembers who are attempting to support a family on Disney wages.
Most are either 2nd income adults or kids.

Most (not ALL mind you) come to work for Disney for the Love of Disney.

The tourists have nothing to do with Disney Castmembers wages and therefore should not be asked to get involved.

First, whatever the reason for work, they should still enjoy the right to be paid a decent wage for that work, for we as fans definitely pay a decent price for going to Walt Disney World.

Secondly, the love for Disney must be fading, and we as fans and tourists benefit by having workers who love Disney. Thus, Disney benefits by having and for cast members who love to work there and should reward them accordingly. It's kind of like a CIRCLE OF LIFE. Apparently, Disney management needs to revisit a particular movie to get a better concept of this idea.

Finally, tourists have everything to do with CMs wages and should know a little about how it treats those that play a HUGE part in whether or not the tourists go away (and hopefully come back) with a zip-a-dee-do-da feeling about Disney's themeparks. It's a balancing act to which both management and CMs have to give and to get some what. (Refer to part 2 above)