News Disney World Cast Member unions to begin week of negotiations for wage increases, healthcare costs and more

[Vegas Disney Fan]

If I'm the person struggling to make ends meet or feel my life is hindered by my limited income... I would hope people would put 'free admission to a place designed to suck money out of people' lower on the priority scale vs making a change that would break the pattern I'm in.

I mean.. if I'm the CM with a family... am I going to goto the park for free and ignore my family?

If I'm struggling with moving up in the world.. how much disposable income should I really be spending on a theme park every month?

I’m not even talking about the off clock perks, I’m talking about the actual job. 99% of the guests were laughing and having a great time (which was contagious), I was outdoors in a beautiful setting, there was good music, there were pretty girls… compared to being in a cubicle on the phone it was incredibly fun.

If companies A to Z all pay relatively the same but company G is a really fun job they have a huge hiring advantage over the other 25 companies, regardless of whether the pay is a living wage or not, they aren’t competing against a hypothetical living wage, they are competing against the other companies for employees.

 

[flynnibus]

I’m not talking about the off clock perks, I’m talking about the actual job. 99% of the guests were laughing and having a great time (which was contagious), I was outdoors in a beautiful setting, there was good music, there were pretty girls… compared to being in a cubicle on the phone it was incredibly fun.

Yeah, working on the Atlantic Beaches was fun too.. but it doesn't pay my bills so.. no more working at the beach

If companies A to Z all pay relatively the same but company G is a really fun job they have a huge hiring advantage over the other 25 companies, regardless of whether the pay is a living wage or not, they aren’t competing against a hypothetical living wage, they are competing against the other companies for employees.

Then their priorities are whack and have no one to blame but themselves. Fun job vs boring job.. yeah I get. But if you took fun job+destitue and wanna whine about my pay vs 'less-fun job but fixing my situation' --- Then someone is lacking self-accountability.

 

[pdude81]

Then pick the best service industry job and pursue that. Why continue to chase a job at an employer that pays poorly and has extreme expectations of you vs other jobs that pay better and give you a better quality of life?

I don't buy the 'these are the only jobs left' argument at all. These people weren't working factory jobs and got forced into WDW front-line positions... come on.

It's time for people to recognize Disney isn't the pinnacle of 'where to work' and stop treating it as such.

If every industry has tight margins and population continues to increase at the same time we're increase automation, then there is no solution. Not for everybody, that is. There are only so many good-paying jobs in this country. You can say to Tommy that he needs to go elsewhere to make more money, but if everybody like Tommy leaves then who is going to empty trash cans or operate the attractions?

I wonder if many former cast members were surprised that their unemployment went as far during the pandemic as their salary used to, once the car stayed in the driveway and they weren't buying lunch at work any longer.

I'll refrain from going further down this line as many have discussed these issues in more depth than I have. More or less, I think this is more a macro problem and not just Disney/Universal.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

If I'm the person struggling to make ends meet or feel my life is hindered by my limited income... I would hope people would put 'free admission to a place designed to suck money out of people' lower on the priority scale vs making a change that would break the pattern I'm in.

Free admission to Disney is indeed a nice perk that many Disney employees enjoy.

What change do you suggest to break the pattern of people working at WDW?

I mean.. if I'm the CM with a family... am I going to goto the park for free and ignore my family?

Aren’t CM’s allowed to bring guests?

If I'm struggling with moving up in the world.. how much disposable income should I really be spending on a theme park every month?

Many WDW CM’s are fans of the Disney parks and pay money to eat at Disney, but merch, and attend special events like d23.
Disney offers cm discounts for many of these activities.

The idea that CM’s shouldn’t be able to enjoy Disney is crazy.

 

[MagicHappens1971]

Aren’t CM’s allowed to bring guests?

Yes. CMs get three guest passes where they can bring 4 guests on each pass a year. Plus if they’re married their spouse gets a pass as well. Typically Disney also gives cast additional comp tickets in the summer and winter that have no block outs

 

[mkt]

If that was enforced in Orlando than there would be a number of homeless.

Most private landlords enforce that.

 

[mkt]

Really? Family of mine that rent in Orlando are not required to prove they earn 3x more than monthly posted rent. Try again.

Every single apartment I have ever rented in Orlando - in Florida really - going back to the late 1990s has required a minimum of 3x to even be considered.

 

[the_rich]

Every single apartment I have ever rented in Orlando - in Florida really - going back to the late 1990s has required a minimum of 3x to even be considered.

But they have family that doesn't so it can't be true. It's funny that every time someone makes a point they somehow have anecdotal evidence that can't be proven.

 

[Disorbust]

Really? Family of mine that rent in Orlando are not required to prove they earn 3x more than monthly posted rent. Try again.

Every apartment In Orlando my kids looked at or signed at all required 2’5 to 3x income They get around it by having 5 kids live in a 2 br androtate sleeping on the couch.

 

[TP2000]

Inside the Magic reports first pay raise in 6 years so more to the story on Tokyo DL cast. 7% pay raise including salaried.

Speaking of Tokyo, this came up in a similar wage conversation over on the Disneyland side. When Disney removed the last remnants of grooming standards and dress codes, they effectively widened the labor pool and lowered the pressure on paying higher wages. The CM's may have think they "Won!" by being allowed to don sleeves of tats and purple nail polish and long hair on men and all sorts of piercings, but all that did was lessen pressure on wage growth.

Labor Economics 101
Lower Employment Standards = Lower Wages Due to Larger Labor Pool

Meanwhile, in Tokyo, they have maintained the same high standards for grooming and apperance that they've had since the 1980's, after Disney's Walt-trained executives in the late 1970's and early 80's told them they had to maintain to gain and keep the licensing agreement to operate Tokyo Disneyland. No tats, no piercings, fresh haircuts and shaves for men, neat hairdo's and very light makeup for women, no black or blood red nail polish, no hair colorings or streaks, freshly pressed uniforms at all times, always polished shoes instead of dirty sneakers, etc., etc....

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Speaking of Tokyo, this came up in a similar wage conversation over on the Disneyland side. When Disney removed the last remnants of grooming standards and dress codes, they effectively widened the labor pool and lowered the pressure on paying higher wages. The CM's may have think they "Won!" by being allowed to don sleeves of tats and purple nail polish and long hair on men and all sorts of piercings, but all that did was lessen pressure on wage growth.

Labor Economics 101
Lower Employment Standards = Lower Wages Due to Larger Labor Pool

Meanwhile, in Tokyo, they have maintained the same high standards for grooming and apperance that they've had since the 1980's, after Disney's Walt-trained executives in the late 1970's and early 80's told them they had to maintain to gain and keep the licensing agreement to operate Tokyo Disneyland. No tats, no piercings, fresh haircuts and shaves for men, neat hairdo's and very light makeup for women, no black or blood red nail polish, no hair colorings or streaks, freshly pressed uniforms at all times, etc., etc....

This is a good point. Those WDW guest relations hosts with shorts and a short sleeve shirt with a plaid patch just scream tacky to me.

I don’t really mind the tatoos but the hoop and dangling earring and necklaces and bracelets really were a bad idea.

 

[MagicHappens1971]

Speaking of Tokyo, this came up in a similar wage conversation over on the Disneyland side. When Disney removed the last remnants of grooming standards and dress codes, they effectively widened the labor pool and lowered the pressure on paying higher wages. The CM's may have think they "Won!" by being allowed to don sleeves of tats and purple nail polish and long hair on men and all sorts of piercings, but all that did was lessen pressure on wage growth.

Labor Economics 101
Lower Employment Standards = Lower Wages Due to Larger Labor Pool

Meanwhile, in Tokyo, they have maintained the same high standards for grooming and apperance that they've had since the 1980's, after Disney's Walt-trained executives in the late 1970's and early 80's told them they had to maintain to gain and keep the licensing agreement to operate Tokyo Disneyland. No tats, no piercings, fresh haircuts and shaves for men, neat hairdo's and very light makeup for women, no black or blood red nail polish, no hair colorings or streaks, freshly pressed uniforms at all times, etc., etc....

Your post might as well be a hate letter to the new Disney Look. While Disney's goal in changing the Disney Look was to work towards DEI efforts within the company, it was also intentionally to widen the labor pool, as you mentioned. However, the company is still having major staffing issues, hence the need to increase wages.

Making your "Look" policy modern ≠ paying your employees less.

 

[MagicHappens1971]

This is a good point. Those WDW guest relations hosts with shorts and a short sleeve shirt with a plaid patch just scream tacky to me.

These costumes aren't new, they're the summer "warmer weather" look.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Yes

I have never heard of that. Good to know.

 

[TP2000]

Your post might as well be a hate letter to the new Disney Look. While Disney's goal in changing the Disney Look was to work towards DEI efforts within the company, it was also intentionally to widen the labor pool, as you mentioned. However, the company is still having major staffing issues, hence the need to increase wages.

Can you imagine how tough it would be to fill shifts if they still had grooming standards? They'd be forced to raise wages to fill the shifts!

This is basic economics. They may have marketed the ditching of the grooming standards as a trendy "DEI" thing and rolled it out with a "You asked, we listened!" smarmy and fake PR spin, but the end goal was to keep wages low by widening the labor pool with lower standards.

I'm frankly amazed at how few CM's realize they got played like that. Do they not teach Econ in high school any more?

Disneyland's CM's now look as trashy and unkempt and tatted up as WDW's. But drive three blocks east of Disneyland on Ball Road to In-N-Out and they still have the same strict grooming standards that In-N-Out has always had. And In-N-Out pays more than Disneyland!

The old clean cut & friendly Disney Look still lives in Anaheim in 2023, but you have to go down the street to In-N-Out Burger to find it!

 

[MagicHappens1971]

Can you imagine how tough it would be to fill shifts if they still had grooming standards? They'd be forced to raise wages to fill the shifts!

This is basic economics. They may have marketed the ditching of the grooming standards as a trendy "DEI" thing and rolled it out with a "You asked, we listened!" smarmy and fake PR spin, but the end goal was to keep wages low by widening the labor pool with lower standards.

I'm frankly amazed at how few CM's realize they got played like that. Do they not teach Econ in high school any more?

They still are having a tough time filling shifts, and are going to be forced to raise wages.

Your post also implies that people with tattoos, piercings, etc are part of a "lower standard". Having a tattoo or a piercing that you find unappealing does not equate to being incapable of your job. There are a plethora of Disney Cast Members, managers, front line cast, etc that fall under those "lower standards".

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Your post might as well be a hate letter to the new Disney Look.

And for good reason. Lowering the appearance standards shouldn’t be applauded.

These costumes aren't new, they're the summer "warmer weather" look.

“New” is relative but they are new for me still. And they are ugly and tacky lol.

 

[MagicHappens1971]

And for good reason. Lowering the appearance standards shouldn’t be applauded.

I have never been effected by a CMs tattoo or piercing, but maybe that's just me? You all are making it sound like Disney is pulling homeless people off the street, throwing them as is, into a costume and shoving them behind a register on Main Street.

If a CMs tattoo, piercing, or what have you is more important to you than the service and magic they provide, maybe you should stay home.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

If a CMs tattoo, piercing, or what have you is more important to you than the service and magic they provide, maybe you should stay home.

See my post below - tatoos really don’t bother me - neither does the longer hair as long as it looks nice.

What does bother me are the more extreme hair styles, the dangling ear rings, and the necklaces and bracelets.

Does it bother you that Disney still prohibits face tattoos and face piercings?

I don’t really mind the tatoos but the hoop and dangling earring and necklaces and bracelets really were a bad idea.

 

[MagicHappens1971]

See my post below - tatoos really don’t bother me - neither does the longer hair as long as it looks nice.

What does bother me are the more extreme hair styles, the dangling ear rings, and the necklaces and bracelets.

Does it bother you that Disney still prohibits face tattoos and face piercings?

I haven't seen any "extreme" hair styles from a CM.

Disney Look doesn't really permit those anyway.
"Hairstyles that are clean and well maintained represent our Disney brand. Hair length, including completely shaved styling, is at the Cast Member’s discretion. Hair below shoulder length should be secured if it falls forward over the face or covers the nametag while working.

If the hair color is changed, it should be well maintained and in naturally occurring hues. Examples of hair colors that are not considered natural would be colors such as blue, green, pink, purple, etc.

The shaving of lines or shapes in the hair is permitted provided they do not depict offensive words or symbols."

I personally don't like face tattoos and am glad that they are still banned, IMO they are typically raunchier in style and context, but also don't typically look nice. Face tattoos are also just a major detraction from Show, a tattoo on one's ankle or wrist may not even be noticed by most guests, but a face tattoo can't be ignored.