BBC News: Living in cars and motels - what it's like to work at the 'Happiest Place on Earth'

[irlandaise]

Cynthia “Cyn” Carranza meticulously scavenged for a shady parking spot in the car she called home...“That’s not something that anybody should experience working a full-time job for a company like Disney,” she told the BBC. Ms Carranza, like others who work at the park, detailed to the BBC the financial hardships that come with working at what’s supposed to be the “Happiest Place on Earth”. About 10,000 union workers at Disneyland - the first of 12 parks created around the globe - are threatening to strike over the wages and what they say are retaliatory anti-union practices....

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cv2gpx7pnwdo

 

[StarlitNight05]

Cynthia “Cyn” Carranza meticulously scavenged for a shady parking spot in the car she called home...“That’s not something that anybody should experience working a full-time job for a company like Disney,” she told the BBC. Ms Carranza, like others who work at the park, detailed to the BBC the financial hardships that come with working at what’s supposed to be the “Happiest Place on Earth”. About 10,000 union workers at Disneyland - the first of 12 parks created around the globe - are threatening to strike over the wages and what they say are retaliatory anti-union practices....

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cv2gpx7pnwdo

Thank you for sharing the article. This part really gutted me:

"Union officials say about one in 10 Disneyland cast members have experienced homelessness while working at the park. A survey of employees showed 73% say they don't make enough to cover basic expenses each month and about a third said they experienced housing insecurity within the last year."

That is so disappointing to hear with the prices that we as guests pay. They shouldn't have to be in that situation, especially considering how much the executive level folks make.

 

[StormyCA]

I'm not meaning to sound callous, but this is not 'new news'. Disneyland hasn't caught up to the fact that the rank and file of their employees are no longer college students looking for part time/summer jobs or wives/retirees looking for 'pin money', like back in the day. Nowadays, they are working stiffs who have to support themselves and/or a family. And that the cost of living in the 'Disney commute area' (say, within a 90 min one way commute) is outrageous. In fact, in just about all of So Cal (excepting perhaps out in the desert) the cost of living is sky high. Add in the dearth of affordable places to rent (rents are ridiculous) and it's no wonder there is homelessness.

Disney isn't the only employer with the issue of not paying a living wage so I'm not particularly picking on Disney. A lot of places aren't paying enough. Disney is just the most visible and 'family oriented'. Do I have a solution? Not really, other than taking a look at some of the bigwigs compensation packages and seeing if they can shave off a few dollars there to add to the rank and file salary budget. But that's not going to happen.

 

[DizMe]

I would say this is an issue in any area with a very high cost of living. It also seems, from the outside, like a huge company that appears to make a ton of profit should be paying its employees a fair living wage for the area. I won't begin to claim knowledge of how it all works, but there are so many other factors that come into play. These include shareholder expectations, how profitable the ENTIRE corporation is (I know the parks were keeping the company afloat for a while) , how much more than minimum wage it would take to meet that living wage goal, how much every other wage would also be expected to rise, and the realization that you're talking in this case about roughly 10,000 workers. Does Disneyland pay someone less for a comparable job than other businesses?

I don't know; just some things to think about.

 

[ParkHopper1]

While I agree there is a massive wage gap between corporate profits and front line employees across the entire economy, entry level unskilled jobs were never meant to be lifelong careers to maintain a living let alone support a family.

You start by trading hours for dollars and to do a unskilled task...and in the process develop skills, the next step is to get paid for value of the skills you developed, the next level is to get paid for the knowledge you have developed, the next phase is to get paid for producing outcomes based on all of your past experiences and skills....those last three are the difference between a carer and a job.

Disney is the champion of hiring for careers from within its own ranks so the opportunities are there to move up or move on. Those jobs are designed to develop the skills to get a career, not be your lifelong source of income.

 

[VicgirlBC]

Employers should have to pay a living wage as a minimum wage for entry level jobs. This would go a long way to reducing the number of unhoused folks, and enable single parents and/or parents who struggle to pay for childcare with both parents working, a way to find employment.

 

[irlandaise]

I'm not meaning to sound callous, but this is not 'new news'.

True. As the article said, DL's working conditions are news now because of this week's employee rally and strike vote.

 

[Tinkaboo]

You know who will end up paying for these raises…US. I don’t know what the breaking point will be for me, ticket prices are so high now. I have a MK but at Christmas, we’re staying over a weekend and my extra ticket is $375 for the days I’m blocked out.

I might be at the end of my Disney rope…which is sad to me as I have been going over 50 years. It’s my happy place, even though I can’t do a lot of things I used to.
But you know that Iger or any of the other execs aren’t ponying up their salaries. It always comes back to bite the consumer.

 

[Geemo]

You know who will end up paying for these raises…US. I don’t know what the breaking point will be for me, ticket prices are so high now. I have a MK but at Christmas, we’re staying over a weekend and my extra ticket is $375 for the days I’m blocked out.

I might be at the end of my Disney rope…which is sad to me as I have been going over 50 years. It’s my happy place, even though I can’t do a lot of things I used to.
But you know that Iger or any of the other execs aren’t ponying up their salaries. It always comes back to bite the consumer.

I'm right there with you, I have been going since opening day!

I was a long time AP holder prior to Covid, flying down several times a year. I have taken a few trips since the park re-opened and it's just not the same as it was before Covid.

Crowds, LINES, Reservations, Genie+ and all that crap has ruined it for me.
I have joined the group that are just staying home or venturing to other places instead of Disneyland.

I heard about a family in my area that priced a week long trip to DLR. The cost was so HIGH they couldn't believe it. For less money they were able to take a trip to Spain instead.

 

[Tinkaboo]

YIKES! That’s just sad…well, as I’ve said in other posts, I think the New York Rangers are going to get a lot of my Disney money next season. Hubby will be retiring in December and hockey is something we both enjoy, whereas I do all my DLtrips solo.
Also looking at going to Iceland next summer…even though there’s no Disney park there

 

[Thecouch]

Says that prices will go up of wages go up is sort of wrong. It might just mean profits don't go up as much. Have a look at Tokyo the ticket prices are almost 1/3 of the cost and the park is well staffed and even better maintain. But in Japan they still believe in customer service before profits

 

[DiznyDiva]

I agree with needing to be able to support yourself... But they they are not' gong to get much a living wage even when they get a contract. Not in that area. California cost of living is out of control and there is only so high it can be raised.

I see maybe a 2-3 dollar increase, but not much more and that certainly won't help with rest and mortgages out of control. The working conditions and better control over sick days and PTO is where they are likely to see the biggest gains.

 

[disneychrista]

This is not a problem unique to Disneyland. Anyone making $20-$25 an hour is going to have difficulty finding housing not only in Anaheim but pretty anywhere in California.

I’m sorry to say the solution is not just to raise wages. With that comes the increase in prices that you & I pay at Disneyland, the grocery store, etc.

 

[Howry]

You know who will end up paying for these raises…US. I don’t know what the breaking point will be for me, ticket prices are so high now. I have a MK but at Christmas, we’re staying over a weekend and my extra ticket is $375 for the days I’m blocked out.

I might be at the end of my Disney rope…which is sad to me as I have been going over 50 years. It’s my happy place, even though I can’t do a lot of things I used to.
But you know that Iger or any of the other execs aren’t ponying up their salaries. It always comes back to bite the consumer.

100%, I feel for the workers there but for the most part Disneyland jobs are for entry level workers. No different then people who work at retail stores etc. They just aren't living wage jobs. People are drawn to Disney because its Disney and many of the people that work there remember growing up and going to Disneyland etc with their families and what a special place it is and want to be part of that.

I get that allure but I really believe most of the park jobs are geared towards people who have a spouse or what not that makes a decent wage elsewhere and this is a 2nd income type job, or towards the teen that is going to school or still living at home. Supplemental income jobs, not bread winner jobs.

The workers will probably get what they want or atleast close but like Tink said, you and I are going to be footing the bill.

 

[Howry]

Says that prices will go up of wages go up is sort of wrong. It might just mean profits don't go up as much. Have a look at Tokyo the ticket prices are almost 1/3 of the cost and the park is well staffed and even better maintain. But in Japan they still believe in customer service before profits

Profits have to go up. Shareholders wont accept them not going up, that is the curse of having a publicly traded company. This isn't Tokyo Disney, although I wish it was.

 

[Snap Crackle Pop]

I don't understand the sentiment in some of these posts where "entry level" jobs are not supposed to produce a livable wage when minimum wage jobs were originally made so that one could live off that wage (with housing etc.) but since the 1980s I would say it has been harder. They should have increased the minimum wage 40 years ago but they never did. So this whole entry level job thing is a moot point imo. Everyone deserves to have a livable wage, and minimum wage was originally meant to do that.

 

[LKing]

I used to hire high school students to do entry level work in my office. It was often their first job and was a valuable learning experience. They were not living off of the $7/hr that used to be minimum wage. Now, at close to $20/hr, I can't afford to give that first job opportunity to high schoolers. Sadly, I've purchased software do do what people used to do.

Disneyland has already floated the idea of self check out and scanning yourself into the parks. If wages go up, they are going to find a work around and there will likely be fewer entry level jobs.

People are drawn to Disney because its Disney

From the article linked above:

"Workers who talked to the BBC said they have kept their jobs at the park because they love the Disney brand, and they rely on the generous healthcare benefits and union-operated food bank, which some workers described as a saving-grace."

and

"A living wage calculator built by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or MIT, says a single person with no children would need to be paid $30.48 an hour to afford to live near Disneyland in Orange County, which is about 30 miles southeast of Los Angeles."

 

[Tinkaboo]

I know there are a lot of older people on this board who can relate to me saying that at my first job (waitress in a coffee shop), I made $1.10 an hour plus tips which usually amounted to $5 on a good day. I was still in high school, living at home.

I didn’t get my own apartment until after college, prior to that I shared a house with many other roommates at various times, one of those being in San Diego, where EVEN IN THE 1970’s, I couldn’t afford a place of my own. California has always been an expensive place to live, even more so today which is why you see people moving to more affordable areas.

Howry got it right by saying most of those service jobs at DL are designed for teenagers, 2nd jobbers or seniors looking to supplement retirement. Those in character jobs or parade performers are probably actors/dancers/theatre people waiting for a break. I’d be willing to bet that those in trade positions are being paid a comparable wage to what they would make outside of Disney.

I’m guessing they will get a slight raise, but more PTO. I would also guess that many families encourage kids to work there for the free tickets. That in itself is a huge perk.

 

[Howry]

I don't understand the sentiment in some of these posts where "entry level" jobs are not supposed to produce a livable wage when minimum wage jobs were originally made so that one could live off that wage (with housing etc.) but since the 1980s I would say it has been harder. They should have increased the minimum wage 40 years ago but they never did. So this whole entry level job thing is a moot point imo. Everyone deserves to have a livable wage, and minimum wage was originally meant to do that.

Yeah they were, but a lot has changed and a minimum wage job is never going to be a live able wage job. If it was you would have 15 and 16 year olds having live able wage jobs which is not its intent and really never was. You start from the bottom as a teenager and work your way up the ladder to higher paying jobs. Disney retail jobs I assume pay similar to other retail jobs such as a cashier at a grocery store or a clothing store etc. Just because its Disney doesn't mean they should have to pay more then going rate.

Disney offers perks that other companies don't which is a cool selling point but to expect a "living wage" for most of the positions at Disney is unrealistic.

I do hope the cast members get a pay bump and more perks, PTO etc but to expect a living wage, I just don't see it coming even close.

 

[JerrodDragon89]

Its been a LONG time but I want to remind people

Disneyland employees used to be able to live on the wages from parks and back in the day being a CM was a stepping stone to become an Imagineer or something that could pay more, now its just a common position that makes less then a fast food worker.