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

[Lilofan]

Exactly!!! It’s costing taxpayers money because companies like WDW are paying so little that “full time” employees are getting government assistance.

It’s not the fault of the employees who are working 40hours a week. It’s the greedy corporations and the political system that lets this happen!

It is not always by necessity employees get government assistance. Years ago when I was a manager I had a staff member that I wanted to mentor to get into the leadership program. He had all the essentials of making a good leader. He was a full time entry level employee.. My staff member advised me he was honored and humbled that I would consider him. However he advised me he qualifies and lives in section 8 apts that were newly built. If he makes more income like salaried he and his family would no longer be eligible to live in his housing area and losing food stamp vouchers. This is an example of one that wants to keep on living on govt assistance. He remained at his current role.

 

[mkt]

Our family was in the same situation when I was younger. My late father worked various jobs my mom went back to work, moved to a lower COL area , streamline spending - sacrifices that we had to make to get out of debt to get ahead. We did not blame the system, we made sacrifices / changes to get into a better situation. I worked cash under the table doing odd jobs when I was 13 , 14 to help my parents with income , wasn’t easy but glad I could help.

It would seem that given what you've gone through, you'd like for others to have it better.

 

[Lilofan]

It’s almost like it’s not owned by Disney?

It’s on WDW property and the guest service , luxurious surroundings etc are above and beyond Disney standards.

 

[Lilofan]

It would seem that given what you've gone through, you'd like for others to have it better.

Surely. To get ahead one must make a lot of tough calls and lifestyle changes.

 

[Alanzo]

It is not always by necessity employees get government assistance. Years ago when I was a manager I had a staff member that I wanted to mentor to get into the leadership program. He had all the essentials of making a good leader. He was a full time entry level employee.. My staff member advised me he was honored and humbled that I would consider him. However he advised me he qualifies and lives in section 8 apts that were newly built. If he makes more income like salaried he and his family would no longer be eligible to live in his housing area and losing food stamp vouchers. This is an example of one that wants to keep on living on govt assistance. He remained at his current role.

I must respectfully point out that your argument contains a logical fallacy known as hasty generalization. This fallacy involves making a sweeping conclusion based on a single anecdote or a small sample size, without sufficient evidence to support the conclusion.

In your argument, you based your conclusion that employees who receive government assistance are content with their situation and do not want to improve their financial situation, on the example of one individual. This anecdote cannot be generalized to all employees who receive government assistance, as each individual has their own unique situation and motivations. It is important to avoid making sweeping generalizations that do not accurately reflect the diverse experiences and circumstances of those who receive government assistance.

 

[eliza61nyc]

And since it's inception, it was understood by those who signed it into law, that the minimum wage is to be a living wage.

Not a thriving wage, not a get-rich wage - just a living wage. It's not even a living wage anymore.

Any employer paying so little that full-time employees still qualify for government assistance deserves to be fined.

True, unfortunately when it first came about it was primarily to prevent sweatshops or child labor. The problem with the "living wage" is that it's a nebulous target. A living wage for a single?? What happens if the CM gets married with kids, now does he now automatically get a raise because his cost of living just escalated?
If you pump gas in jersey should now your minimum wage be 60k because that's what the experts say is needed to live comfortably there.
Not sure about Orlando, but here in Philadelphia we are having a rent explosion, don't know why but rents here have gone hog wild. So again how to make "living" wage catch up. You work at Walmart as a cashier, no, no matter how well Walmart does, those cashiers are going to struggle. It's not the company, it's the position.

I guess for me, I'm more of the self determination type of person. When my sons got their first jobs working fast food and pumping gas, we told them in no uncertain terms, no matter how many hours you work, you keep this job, you'll be living in the ghetto struggling and it's not wawa's or McDonald's responsibility to give you the life you want.

 

[mkt]

It is not always by necessity employees get government assistance. Years ago when I was a manager I had a staff member that I wanted to mentor to get into the leadership program. He had all the essentials of making a good leader. He was a full time entry level employee.. My staff member advised me he was honored and humbled that I would consider him. However he advised me he qualifies and lives in section 8 apts that were newly built. If he makes more income like salaried he and his family would no longer be eligible to live in his housing area and losing food stamp vouchers. This is an example of one that wants to keep on living on govt assistance.

It's not a matter of one person taking advantage - it's a matter of employers paying so little that they qualify for assistance in the first place.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

The problem with the "living wage" is that it's a nebulous target. A living wage for a single?? What happens if the CM gets married with kids, now does he now automatically get a raise because his cost of living just escalated?

This argument always comes up and it’s quite silly. Nobody is suggesting that a “living wage” scales up or down based on individual situations.

A living wage should be enough money to comfortably live on. I think $35-40k is a decent place to start and that = $17-$19.25 per hour.

 

[JoeCamel]

This argument always comes up and it’s quite silly. Nobody is suggesting that a “living wage” scales up or down based on individual situations.

A living wage should be enough money to comfortably live on. I think $35-40k is a decent place to start and that = $17-$19.25 per hour.

In New York or Kentucky is it enough? We may have a Federal minimum but how many states mandate higher? Nothing is stopping Florida from mandating $20 per hour but if they did the business exodus to cheaper climes would be epic

 

[eliza61nyc]

This argument always comes up and it’s quite silly. Nobody is suggesting that a “living wage” scales up or down based on individual situations.

A living wage should be enough money to comfortably live on. I think $35-40k is a decent place to start and that = $17-$19.25 per hour.

And if I'm not mistaken just 3 years ago it was 15 dollars an hour. So the argument is not silly. The living wage does scale up and down. Heck the depth of labor has 4 different amounts for a so called livable wage.

I'm guessing that the cms will get close to 17/hour, aren't they close to it now??.
According to ziprecruiter the average worker is at 16.77/hour

 

[lazyboy97o]

Oh I totally agree, most companies now only focus on short term goals. I retired from Dupont chemicals. We had a running joke about how we now do "science by shareholders". Developing new products and technology could take decades, the company wants immediate returns so all we used to do is rehash old stuff. Shareholders unfortunately are insatiable beast and they don't want slow puny growth, every year they want double digit returns.
So for the front line CM the cold hard fact is Disney will probably NEVER pay those entry level positions liveable wages

It’s not shareholders. They will accept all sorts of weird things. The problem is one of leadership. Disney panics at the slightest, easily predictable bump in their theme park business. They can’t articulate a clear strategy for why something like a fractional reduction in margins would be a serious investment in operations, competitiveness, and even public relations.

 

[mkt]

It’s on WDW property and the guest service , luxurious surroundings etc are above and beyond Disney standards.

Disney is a premium brand, but it's accessible, not a luxury brand.

Disney is like a nice Longines watch or an Audi A4, not a Patek Phillipe or Bentley Flying Spur.

The Four Seasons is the Patek Phillipe or the Bentley Flying Spur.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

It’s not the fault of the employees who are working 40hours a week. It’s the greedy corporations and the political system that lets this happen!

Why do the landlords escape blame?

Where are all the CMs threatening to move out if they don’t offer a “living rent” for a cashier?

It would seem that given what you've gone through, you'd like for others to have it better.

But at whose (fair) expense?

 

[mkt]

But at whose (fair) expense?

At the employer's - if they earn enough to still qualify for government assistance, you should be upset that your tax dollars are helping this.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

In New York or Kentucky is it enough? We may have a Federal minimum but how many states mandate higher? Nothing is stopping Florida from mandating $20 per hour but if they did the business exodus to cheaper climes would be epic

Sure it is. NYC rentals aren’t that much higher than Orlando area - of course you get a larger space for the same amount of money but that’s a fact of NYC.

 

[mkt]

In New York or Kentucky is it enough? We may have a Federal minimum but how many states mandate higher? Nothing is stopping Florida from mandating $20 per hour but if they did the business exodus to cheaper climes would be epic

Odd. The bump from $8ish to $11 over the past two years doesn't seem to have shut any businesses down in the sunshine state.

Guess that trope's not valid.

 

[JoeCamel]

Odd. The bump from $8ish to $11 over the past two years doesn't seem to have shut any businesses down in the sunshine state.

Guess that trope's not valid.

11 to 20 is not the same???

 

[Lilofan]

and the unskilled entry level cm's will still be blaming Disney for their lot in life.

I’d say there are options to earn more but it comes with risks and more responsibilities such as applying to be a bus driver or applying to get into the Engineering apprentice program which last several years. Once completed Eng cast that maintain the attractions as one example can earn approx $30 per hour.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

I’d say there are options to earn more but it comes with risks and more responsibilities such as applying to be a bus driver or applying to get into the Engineering apprentice program which last several years. Once completed Eng cast that maintain the attractions as one example can earn approx $30 per hour.

Neither of those are “entry level” positions. Many imagineers and Disney executives started as entry level.

 

[Lilofan]

Disney is a premium brand, but it's accessible, not a luxury brand.

Disney is like a nice Longines watch or an Audi A4, not a Patek Phillipe or Bentley Flying Spur.

The Four Seasons is the Patek Phillipe or the Bentley Flying Spur.

Ironic that the room rates of Grand Floridian and Four Seasons are sometimes during the year in line with each other but the guest service and opulent surroundings of FS supersedes GF.