Disney Union Workers Rally for Better Pay

[dadddio]

Internships are stupid. If it's a trade, you should be a paid apprentice. If it's not, then it's a job, and you should collect an employees salary.

People take internships (and any job, really) because they believe that the compensation that they receive is worth the time and effort that they put in. For internships, they believe that the experience that they will receive will help lead to a better job moving forward, at that company or another.

 

[dadddio]

I'd suggest you review the FLSA definition of an "intern" then.

Because what you just described is not one.

It should also be noted that a company who doesn't bother to teach interns anything is likely to find their pool of potential interns becoming restricted. A good college is going to work to identify those companies who waste their students time in such a manner.

 

[PhotoDave219]

I'll bite...

Investments in the community come in many different forms. Sure, the vast majority of jobs are low-income, service industry positions but you are forgetting all the downstream positions created by these companies that are much higher paying such as IT/CIS, network engineering, heavy construction, industrial engineering, architects, legal, and medical to name a few. These jobs are indirect for the most part but companies such as Disney, Comcast, Sea World build a lot of buildings, roads and heavily utilize infrastructure, contribute very heavily to taxes directly and indirectly and generally provide a positive net effect on the area around them.

I am not saying Disney pays front-line cast members well, but how much are area teachers paid, teachers that went to college for 4-6 years to get the undergrad or masters? In my area of the country a teacher starts at about $30,000 a year with a $5,000 bump if they have a masters degree. Pay scales are the direct result supply and demand in your area for the most part, if the job has a low skill requirement the pay is going to be generally very low unless it is also dangerous.

And my point is those downstream positions of IT/CIS & Network engineering are paid on the lower side of what those jobs are paid. Nobody around here pays their employees well.... yet they report record profits.

 

[roj2323]

People take internships (and any job, really) because they believe that the compensation that they receive is worth the time and effort that they put in. For internships, they believe that the experience that they will receive will help lead to a better job moving forward, at that company or another.

Which is definitely NOT the case for the Disney College Program. Realistically the Disney College Program is just a source of cheap labor and tax write offs. The professional internship program is another story.

The thing most people don't think about with DCP is the "students" are paid minimum wage, then they are charged $90+ a week for housing while living with up to 5 other people: $90 a week * 6 people * 4weeks in a month = $2160 per unit which is more than triple the going rate for rent in the area. (my mortgage is only $300 a month for example) Additionally CP's are worked full time hours (40-60hrs a week) with no benefits and they are not allowed to join the union.

 

[rael ramone]

I've posted this in other threads that are on this subject:

What CM's do are service jobs, but they are expected to provide PREMIUM service. Premium maintenance. Premium cleanliness. Etc. The Disney difference. And the cost to provide such service is worked into the price of admission. Cost of lodging, food, merch, etc.

We, as guests are paying enough for everything for them to provide such premium service. If TDO doesn't pay premium service compensation to the CM's, they are in effect funneling some of the funds that we as guests provide to compensate employees for their work and redirecting it to the 'precious' profit margin.

And when the CM's provide service based on their compensation, then WE as guests are being shorted. The mouse is getting what they paid for, but we sure aren't...

 

[DisneyCane]

I'm just curious… how can you defend Disney and their record profits quarter after quarter without any willingness to invest in their cast?

Is this isn't necessarily about the union, it's across the board. Everyone at the mouse is woefully underpaid, frontline or not. The disparity between executives and average workers is horrid.

There really isn't a need to defend them (or any other company). The reason that companies are formed (either a huge one like Disney or a lawn mowing service) is to make profits. It isn't to "invest" in their employees or even to have employees. You pay employees as much as is necessary to get people qualified to do their job.

Don't let your opinions be swayed due to the HUGE profits a company like Disney reports. Those profits are shared across a very large number of stockholders. It isn't like back in the day when John Rockefeller was one person making the modern day equivalent of 10s of billions a year while nearly killing his employees.

In the modern era, the main goal of unions is to make the membership think they are getting great pay and benefits for them so that they keep paying higher and higher dues. This way the union leadership can make exorbitant salaries. The union leaders earn far more than union members and all they do is pontificate and make threats that put other people's income at risk. At least corporate executives have to make decisions about the company direction and strategy.

 

[PhotoDave219]

There really isn't a need to defend them (or any other company). The reason that companies are formed (either a huge one like Disney or a lawn mowing service) is to make profits. It isn't to "invest" in their employees or even to have employees. You pay employees as much as is necessary to get people qualified to do their job.

Don't let your opinions be swayed due to the HUGE profits a company like Disney reports. Those profits are shared across a very large number of stockholders. It isn't like back in the day when John Rockefeller was one person making the modern day equivalent of 10s of billions a year while nearly killing his employees.

In the modern era, the main goal of unions is to make the membership think they are getting great pay and benefits for them so that they keep paying higher and higher dues. This way the union leadership can make exorbitant salaries. The union leaders earn far more than union members and all they do is pontificate and make threats that put other people's income at risk. At least corporate executives have to make decisions about the company direction and strategy.

Interesting how your view of your employees differs from other companies that are a bit more successful.

Also....

Given the results of the corporate executives under the current leadership, they're the ones who should be getting minimum wage.

 

[CDavid]

There really isn't a need to defend them (or any other company). The reason that companies are formed (either a huge one like Disney or a lawn mowing service) is to make profits. It isn't to "invest" in their employees or even to have employees. You pay employees as much as is necessary to get people qualified to do their job.

Part of running a successful business is proper treatment of your employees; You should not expect your workers to provide exceptional (premium) service to your customers if they are themselves underpaid and unappreciated. You may well be able to get people to do the job for something less than a reasonable wage, but that doesn't mean it is acceptable to pay such unreasonably low wages just because you can get away with it. You pay what is necessary to get qualified employees - so long as the pay scale meets an appropriate minimum. For many Disney CM positions (and the national minimum wage) it arguably does not.

 

[DisneyCane]

Interesting how your view of your employees differs from other companies that are a bit more successful.

Also....

Given the results of the corporate executives under the current leadership, they're the ones who should be getting minimum wage.

My current company doesn't have any employees that aren't also owners.

I used to be part owner of a small movie theatre chain. We tried the approach of paying higher than average wages to get better performance. Out of the dozens of people that we paid more than "industry standard," exactly 2 gave us better than average performance.

Since we didn't have a union to deal with, we were able to compensate those two and then, through attrition, bring the other positions down. Had somebody been worthy, we would have increased them. Before you say "well, you didn't pay well anymore so you won't get the good ones," we told people up front that we will give them nice raises if they perform to the standards of our 2 good examples.

To your comment about the executives, isn't it counter to logic to complain that Disney should invest their huge profits back to the employees but then say the executives that led the company to those profits should get minimum wage?

 

[Cesar R M]

My current company doesn't have any employees that aren't also owners.

I used to be part owner of a small movie theatre chain. We tried the approach of paying higher than average wages to get better performance. Out of the dozens of people that we paid more than "industry standard," exactly 2 gave us better than average performance.

Since we didn't have a union to deal with, we were able to compensate those two and then, through attrition, bring the other positions down. Had somebody been worthy, we would have increased them. Before you say "well, you didn't pay well anymore so you won't get the good ones," we told people up front that we will give them nice raises if they perform to the standards of our 2 good examples.

To your comment about the executives, isn't it counter to logic to complain that Disney should invest their huge profits back to the employees but then say the executives that led the company to those profits should get minimum wage?

So the question is.
Does Disney give bonuses and exceptional raises to those CMs who really put effort and bust their ?
or they all always stay the same?
Does the Manager eat these "exceptional performances" bonuses? similar to how many managers eat the praise that was for the guys below them?

 

[rnese]

Or like tens of millions of other Americans have, they can negotiate for better pay and benefits through unions. It's perfectly legal.

I could just as easily say: Don't like living in a country with collective bargaining? Move to another country. Simple.

..........

 

[71jason]

Don't like the pay?... you could always drive a cab...

Actually you can't. Orange County and WDW have given Mears an artificial monopoly.

(Although I hear as of today Uber is starting operations, so we'll see how that plays out.)

 

[71jason]

We, as guests are paying enough for everything for them to provide such premium service. If TDO doesn't pay premium service compensation to the CM's, they are in effect funneling some of the funds that we as guests provide to compensate employees for their work and redirecting it to the 'precious' profit margin.

In other words, do you want WDW to be Chik-Fil-A or Burger King?

 

[Cesar R M]

Actually you can't. Orange County and WDW have given Mears an artificial monopoly.

(Although I hear as of today Uber is starting operations, so we'll see how that plays out.)

A better deal? or MEARS refused to pay their monopoly tax to disney?

 

[71jason]

A better deal? or MEARS refused to pay their monopoly tax to disney?

Generally a better deal, when you factor in tip to your taxi driver. So I hear, and sample fares seem better. It's an interesting company, worth looking up the Wiki or a Forbes article.

 

[WDW1974]

Don't like the pay? get a new job. Simples.

Yes, this thread is clearly what I expected. Right wing agenda being shoveled like the manure that it is ... is slappy around?

 

[WDW1974]

Lets keep this thread open for news on the situation, not our own opinion on a matter many of us have no experience with.

Hah, that's funny. Seriously.

On a site where so many people know what the job market is in the state of Florida ... or act like they do? Threads like this degenerate quickly because so many people who are relatively well off truly believe that poor people want to be poor and are lazy. It's vile and disgusting, but it helps them feel better when they buy that fourth 60-inch TV for their home or add another 140 DVC points or make fun of a homeless person panhandling.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Threads like this degenerate quickly because so many people who are relatively well off truly believe that poor people want to be poor and are lazy.

I wonder if these are the same people tipping 10% on their voucher paid meals?

 

[Sped2424]

Hah, that's funny. Seriously.

On a site where so many people know what the job market is in the state of Florida ... or act like they do? Threads like this degenerate quickly because so many people who are relatively well off truly believe that poor people want to be poor and are lazy. It's vile and disgusting, but it helps them feel better when they buy that fourth 60-inch TV for their home or add another 140 DVC points or make fun of a homeless person panhandling.

I was just trying to keep the peace lol even though I know it would fail.

 

[PhotoDave219]

My current company doesn't have any employees that aren't also owners.

I used to be part owner of a small movie theatre chain. We tried the approach of paying higher than average wages to get better performance. Out of the dozens of people that we paid more than "industry standard," exactly 2 gave us better than average performance.

Since we didn't have a union to deal with, we were able to compensate those two and then, through attrition, bring the other positions down. Had somebody been worthy, we would have increased them. Before you say "well, you didn't pay well anymore so you won't get the good ones," we told people up front that we will give them nice raises if they perform to the standards of our 2 good examples.

To your comment about the executives, isn't it counter to logic to complain that Disney should invest their huge profits back to the employees but then say the executives that led the company to those profits should get minimum wage?

Good that you share ownership with your employees. I'll bet your the kind of owner who reinvests in his own company and my hat off to you for that.

As for corporate execs? Even with Iger's constant propping up of the stock price, I would not consider it equal to his compensation. There are other threads that go into how Bob Iger has mismanaged the company, from theme parks to ESPN to the movie studios. The management culture is horrid within the Mouse and to steal a line from the lego movie, they view it as "Everything is Awesome"....

For what Disney has meant to so many people from the days of Steamboat Willie onward, the one thing that was ringing solid was quality family entertainment and world renound service... which started tailing off in the mid 90s and is nowhere to be seen today. Iger needs to answer for that.

The disaster that has been the movie studio - The Lone Ranger, John Carter from Mars, Prince of Persia, Sorcerer's Apprentice? The Marvel Studios have been fantastic on performance but WDS? Flop after Flop. Iger needs to answer for that.

ESPN? Holy crap. From the frat house secual harassment culture that permiates its business to its lack of transparency when it comes to sourcing as well as that weird line it dances when it comes to actually investigating the same people it covers.... its a train wreck. TV contracts for sports keeps going higher and higher and those costs are directly passed on to EVERYONE and their cable bills. ($5.40 per subscriber) And they cant even continue to reinvest in it; instead they cut to maintain profit margins.

That doesnt even begin to discuss the theme parks and how the only way the audience is growing is through marketing while the only way profits are growing is to raise prices. God forbid we actually continually reinvest in the parks and build a long term audience that continues to return.

Iger has been a train wreck and in a lot of these instances, the man shouldnt be entrusted with leading children to a coloring book, letalone being paid hundreds of millions of dollars to mismanage over and over again. He's not worth the money.