Starting Pay Merits Comment by Bob Gault
(Orlando Sentinel) -- The recent increase in minimum starting pay to $6.60 at Universal's Orlando theme parks prompted one employee to ask why some workers who have been there for some time don't earn much more than that. That question was printed in Universal's employee newsletter on June 17 in a column in which at-traction President Bob Gault comments. "The adjustment in our starting pay was driven by our need to attract quality applicants," Gault said. "The rates paid for team members who have been with Universal Orlando for a while are dictated by how each team member performs. We continue to provide a merit program that delivers increases, based on your performance, above what many other business provide." Annual merit raises at Uni-versal for hourly workers have sometimes hit 7% for certain high performers, employees say. That's about the size of the highest raises -- combining merit and cost-of-living increases -- given annually at Walt Disney World, where many workers are in labor unions and receive annual raises specified in their contracts. Workers say the average merit increase at Universal is 4% a year. In March Gault raised Universal's starting pay to $6.60 an hour from $6.15. Disney pays $6.50; SeaWorld, $6.65.
(Orlando Sentinel) -- The recent increase in minimum starting pay to $6.60 at Universal's Orlando theme parks prompted one employee to ask why some workers who have been there for some time don't earn much more than that. That question was printed in Universal's employee newsletter on June 17 in a column in which at-traction President Bob Gault comments. "The adjustment in our starting pay was driven by our need to attract quality applicants," Gault said. "The rates paid for team members who have been with Universal Orlando for a while are dictated by how each team member performs. We continue to provide a merit program that delivers increases, based on your performance, above what many other business provide." Annual merit raises at Uni-versal for hourly workers have sometimes hit 7% for certain high performers, employees say. That's about the size of the highest raises -- combining merit and cost-of-living increases -- given annually at Walt Disney World, where many workers are in labor unions and receive annual raises specified in their contracts. Workers say the average merit increase at Universal is 4% a year. In March Gault raised Universal's starting pay to $6.60 an hour from $6.15. Disney pays $6.50; SeaWorld, $6.65.
