Disney Union Workers Rally for Better Pay

[Mr. Moderate]

Yeah, because jobs are like groceries. You can just head out and pick out whichever one you like........

I agree and that old talking point used isn't as easy at those who repeat it endlessly, think it is. With the days of America having a vast amount of good paying manufacturing jobs available for just about anyone, long gone, you're seeing more and more people being denied a chance to move up to the middle class or hell, just even trying to survive. The town I used to live in had 4 major manufactures by the lakefront alone, that if you worked hard and were a decent employee, you were paid wages that guaranteed you a ticket to the middle class. You didn't have to work 2 jobs at fast food or Walmart, didn't have those same companies use the American tax payer to supplement their employees wages with welfare/public assistance. My father and the father's of the kids I went to school with in the 70's and 80's, worked those jobs and did well. It's all gone now and that same lakefront is a ghost town.

FTR, to those who think it's so easy to find a job at the drop of a hat, I'll leave you with this very personal, truthful story.

My wife's job at a pharmaceutical company was outsourced 4 years ago and even though she spent 18 years with them and was a valued employee with awards and accolades by her bosses, she still as of this day, has not found permanent work with benefits. She's employed back at the same company as a temp worker with no benefits, no protections, no nothing. It even took her 10 months of hitting the pavement hard and sending out at least 40 applications and she was lucky to have found the job she has and that was only due to having a contact that she used to work for, recommend her. It's not as easy as some who shovel the manure you hear on talk radio, make it out to be. People are hurting and have been for awhile. I have seen people I know who worked hard and no fault of their own, be looking for decent work and finding nothing.

 

[DisneyCane]

It's not as easy as some who shovel the manure you hear on talk radio, make it out to be. People are hurting and have been for awhile. I have seen people I know who worked hard and no fault of their own, be looking for decent work and finding nothing.

I don't listen to talk radio very often so I don't know what the talking heads say. I will say that what you say here is true. The problem is caused by something I've seen called the "barbell economy." Basically a combination of technology replacing "mid skill" jobs and manufacturing going overseas has caused there to be less "mid skill" jobs available and the job growth is either high skill/high paid or low skill/low paid.

I don't know what the solution is because I'm not that smart. If you pay low skill jobs like they were mid skill jobs, which is essentially what raising minimum wage too much does, it will inevitably lead to less jobs.

Trying to bring manufacturing back in the USA would be a great start but there are a lot of things aside from wages that need to be worked out which make it so much cheaper to do in Asia. Unless countries like China agree to the same environmental regulations and get all regulations up to our standard, it would still be cheaper to manufacture there even if we paid $2 an hour.

The bottom line is that when you accept a job at Disney (or anywhere else), you know what the pay is going to be. Taking the job and then demanding pay increases through union action is something I see as somewhat unethical. If you think the job should pay more then negotiate higher pay up front. The problem is that with union contracts you CAN'T do that.

 

[Cesar R M]

They can ask for more but if their skills don't demand more they won't get it. A burger flipper is a burger flipper for a reason

Minimum wage Salaries still should rise at the speed of the inflation. If not, you're just asking for trouble.. sinking the already low job workers into an impossible to recover sinkhole that will either tank the economy, or tank the government via subsidies.

The interesting part is; business are all "its not our problem" when government is falling apart due of these grants.. but sure as hell they love the "tax cuts" or grants or loans from the gov.
Now add into consideration the huge lobbyism at the government bubble.. and you will see how the lowest of the low workers are always in a severe case of disadvantage.

Also, please.. let's not pull the whole "but but..bill gates.. rockefeller.. others made their fortune!".
These are very small cases out of billions of people, its almost like winning the lottery.. a lot of things (including luck, not just hard work) align to give them the opportunity to mass millions of $.
Also they were smart to GAME the system (aka find the weakpoints of the law). once these guys rose.. they pretty much walled their fortune and companies with lobbyim or gaming the system (fine example is Apple, who sued everyone to hell, even if they didn't invent the product in the first place)

The interesting part is.. by pushing the illusion of opportunity(by banking the hope of the population) for the wannabe millionaires.. they create the same group of brainwashed middle to low class citizens that keeps claiming "work harder.. get a better job, move.. more tax cuts for the rich!". All while really believing these will somehow benefit them in their lifetime.

Thats my point as a third party.

 

[mp2bill]

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

Yeah, just like that.

 

[Cesar R M]

By the way, I really apologize for my broken english.
Feel free to correct me in any writing error to prevent them from happening in the future.

 

[FettFan]

I've long been a fan of profit-sharing. But I'm pretty sure Bob Iger would laugh in my face.

 

[Matt_Black]

By the way, I really apologize for my broken english.
Feel free to correct me in any writing error to prevent them from happening in the future.

Please. Compared to the average tweet or youtube comment, your grammar is practically Shakespearean.

 

[Cesar R M]

Please. Compared to the average tweet or youtube comment, your grammar is practically Shakespearean.

Thank you!, But I still want to improve

 

[xstech25]

While I feel some executives may be grossly overpaid, Bob Iger's pay is mainly options. AKA performance based pay. Ironically enough something unions are always fighting against for their workers.

I don't have any opinion on how much he gets paid, but you have to give credit where credit is due. In the past 10 years with his leadership the company has literally doubled its worth, and Disney wasn't exactly small when he became CEO. His plan with the studio alone has made the company so much more successful: by buying Pixar and Marvel, Disney has been cranking out hit after hit after hit and the box office revenues, DVD revenues, and merch revenues have made him worth it. And now orchestrating the Lucasfilm purchase as well it will be the same with Star Wars.
He has made Disney by far the biggest success story in Hollywood today and that's got to be worth something.

 

[BigTxEars]

While I feel some executives may be grossly overpaid, Bob Iger's pay is mainly options. AKA performance based pay. Ironically enough something unions are always fighting against for their workers.

I don't have any opinion on how much he gets paid, but you have to give credit where credit is due. In the past 10 years with his leadership the company has literally doubled its worth, and Disney wasn't exactly small when he became CEO. His plan with the studio alone has made the company so much more successful: by buying Pixar and Marvel, Disney has been cranking out hit after hit after hit and the box office revenues, DVD revenues, and merch revenues have made him worth it. And now orchestrating the Lucasfilm purchase as well it will be the same with Star Wars.
He has made Disney by far the biggest success story in Hollywood today and that's got to be worth something.

He has done his job regarding the $ for sure

 

[The Crafty Veteran]

I will never understand the argument of people feeling they deserve more pay per hour than what is standard within the industry they work in. Disney's pay is in line with everyone else within the hospitality industry. Its a no skill needed, low paying job that anyone can get. People are not entitled to huge pay raises just because they feel underpaid, it has never worked that way ever and it should not be that way now. If people want to be paid like doctors they should be doctors.

I see lots of excuses for entitlement but its all hogwash. The American dream is still alive and well but you have to WORK for it, and the problem is people want it handed to them. I personally blame our society of not hurting peoples feeling and stroking the egos of the lazy instead of being blunt and honest. People need to roll up their sleeves.

 

[BigTxEars]

I will never understand the argument of people feeling they deserve more pay per hour than what is standard within the industry they work in. Disney's pay is in line with everyone else within the hospitality industry. Its a no skill needed, low paying job that anyone can get. People are not entitled to huge pay raises just because they feel underpaid, it has never worked that way ever and it should not be that way now. If people want to be paid like doctors they should be doctors.

I see lots of excuses for entitlement but its all hogwash. The American dream is still alive and well but you have to WORK for it, and the problem is people want it handed to them. I personally blame our society of not hurting peoples feeling and stroking the egos of the lazy instead of being blunt and honest. People need to roll up their sleeves.

I agree with 95% of this but I do not agree it is a no skill needed job field. It is entry level at it's root but customer service is a skill set that not everyone has and one that not everyone can learn. A good customer service employee is a HUGE asset to any company that deals with the public IMO.

I have no issue with the CMs asking for more, but I agree Disney is inline with the industry and that is a pretty good way to judge the "fairness" of their pay.

 

[MarkTwain]

I will never understand the argument of people feeling they deserve more pay per hour than what is standard within the industry they work in. Disney's pay is in line with everyone else within the hospitality industry. Its a no skill needed, low paying job that anyone can get. People are not entitled to huge pay raises just because they feel underpaid, it has never worked that way ever and it should not be that way now. If people want to be paid like doctors they should be doctors.

I see lots of excuses for entitlement but its all hogwash. The American dream is still alive and well but you have to WORK for it, and the problem is people want it handed to them. I personally blame our society of not hurting peoples feeling and stroking the egos of the lazy instead of being blunt and honest. People need to roll up their sleeves.

This attitude is a dangerous one for anyone that cares about the quality of the parks. If Disney equates their quick service workers, retail workers and housekeepers with those of "everyone else within the hospitality industry" (and pays accordingly), does that mean we should expect employees of a quality consistent with those of McDonalds, Walmart, and Motel 6? Disney certainly isn't charging prices consistent of those places, and they've built a national brand based on the idea of offering more.

Disney should pay more than these other places because they DON'T hire just anyone. They hire (or should hire) people capable of delivering the best in the hospitality field and should pay accordingly.

 

[Matt_Black]

This attitude is a dangerous one for anyone that cares about the quality of the parks. If Disney equates their quick service workers, retail workers and housekeepers with those of "everyone else within the hospitality industry" (and pays accordingly), does that mean we should expect employees of a quality consistent with those of McDonalds, Walmart, and Motel 6? Disney certainly isn't charging prices consistent of those places, and they've built a national brand based on the idea of offering more.

Disney should pay more than these other places because they DON'T hire just anyone. They hire (or should hire) people capable of delivering the best in the hospitality field and should pay accordingly.

Quite right. "Buy cheap, get cheap", as the saying goes. Quality service should be reflected with either quality wages or comparable benefits.

 

[natatomic]

The way I have seen it, many employees do not feel like they are treated badly. With the CP cast most of them treat it like a huge party and expect a party is what they will get. Yes, the pay could be better on all fronts, but to be considered treated poorly is a matter of opinion that varies. The ones that complain the most, from my experience, are the ones that never tried or possibly tried and failed at moving up, and are now stuck in their current position.

I'm quoting this only because this needs to be repeated for truth!

 

[BigThunderMatt]

Disney's pay is in line with everyone else within the hospitality industry. Its a no skill needed, low paying job that anyone can get.

Disney's pay is in line with the rest of the industry because Disney sets the bar for the industry. Do you think it's coincidence that after the story broke of Disney's initial offer to the union to raise starting rates for new hires to $10.10 an hour over the course of 2 years, Universal announced that effective June 1st they would be raising starting rates for most roles to $9.00 an hour?

Disney can certainly afford to hike Cast Member pay much higher than $10.10. They could easily go as high as $16 or more and not even begin to feel any hurt from it. All they're doing right now is staying ahead of the inevitable increase to Federal Minimum Wage.

Could SeaWorld or Universal or Busch Gardens manage to raise rates that high? Probably not. This would make Disney a more desirable employer and also allow Disney to be more selective on who they hire.

 

[PhotoDave219]

While I feel some executives may be grossly overpaid, Bob Iger's pay is mainly options. AKA performance based pay. Ironically enough something unions are always fighting against for their workers.

I don't have any opinion on how much he gets paid, but you have to give credit where credit is due. In the past 10 years with his leadership the company has literally doubled its worth, and Disney wasn't exactly small when he became CEO. His plan with the studio alone has made the company so much more successful: by buying Pixar and Marvel, Disney has been cranking out hit after hit after hit and the box office revenues, DVD revenues, and merch revenues have made him worth it. And now orchestrating the Lucasfilm purchase as well it will be the same with Star Wars.
He has made Disney by far the biggest success story in Hollywood today and that's got to be worth something.

For the amount of money he is compensated, we deserve better performance. His growth has been through acquisition, rather than growing the businesses he has.

Disney is not cranking out hits, Marvel Studios is.

This is why CEO compensation should not include stock.

 

[dadddio]

The two errors that I see repeated in this thread are the mistaken belief that pay motivates employees and that Disney doesn't already have the ability to pull quality employees.

 

[CDavid]

The two errors that I see repeated in this thread are the mistaken belief that pay motivates employees and that Disney doesn't already have the ability to pull quality employees.

Pay doesn't motivate employees? Really? I rather thought the reason most people had a job was indeed to bring home a paycheck at the end of the week.

So then - what in your view does motivate employees?

 

[xstech25]

For the amount of money he is compensated, we deserve better performance. His growth has been through acquisition, rather than growing the businesses he has.

Disney is not cranking out hits, Marvel Studios is.

This is why CEO compensation should not include stock.

How can you say it should not include stock? Would you rather just have the top executive make a salary and not have any personal stake in whether the company does well or not?

Also it's revenue growth into a territory that the Disney brand could not be successfully introduced. They can utilize different brands across all their businesses, do you really think a Disney comic book can be introduced and compete with Marvel? There is no way, they are two totally different brands but they compliment each other. Its better to buy Marvel and then build Marvel rides in the the parks than to try and make Disney comic books targeted at that kind of market. We've seen this strategy be extremely successful with Lucas in the past and now that they own it and don't have to pay licensing fees we will see more.

You can tell by Bob's compensation package that he believes in the company's long term prospects - this is not a cut & run CEO, he has big bucks invested in the company well beyond his tenure. That's what you want to look for in a management team. People that just want to make a salary and have no ownership are the ones you need to look out for.