Characters protesting

[Wadecool]

Actually, Thomas Staggs is head of the Parks & Resorts division. Robert Staggs is a coach at Pikesville College.

Actually, Robert Staggs is a coach at Pikeville (singular not plural) College here in KY. Don't you hate it when you're trying to catch someone on a technicality... And you get caught on one yourself?

 

[dolphindan1]

Wow, some of the comments here amaze me. I don't begrudge the right to protest what is essentially a cut in pay for some pretty poorly paid people. Protesting is a right even if the costumes might be a bit over the top.

I don't compare them to Wal-Mart employees. They might be unskilled but in many positions they have to literally be "on" all the time and provide wonderful customer service to the people that they deal with. That part of it isn't so easy.

Personally, I wouldn't like crossing a picket line if there was one. I'd have to think about that.

My wife was working at Wal-mart for close to 20 bucks an hours...not too bad for a not needed second income...

I fully support the CMs right to do what they feel...I think they should go and chain themselves to the tree of life....that will get some attention...that was sarcasm by the way...

Look a job is really what you make of it...they chose the job and they can either choose to try and change it or change where they work...its there right and the right benefited by living in the great USA...

its there right to picket....a company should take care of its employees...especially a customer service job like at Disney...more power too them and I hope they make a difference for everyones sake

 

[ChisJo]

I didn't read though all of the responses, but, as a union, didn't they have the right to vote for their new contract? If they didn't approve, did they vote for it? If the vote was in majority, there is nothing that can be done at this point.

I don't always agree with my union contract, and our new contract certainly wasn't great. We aren't getting an increase in pay for 2 years, and when we do, its only going to be 2%. We used to get cost of living incentives, but no more. However, we agreed (and voted yes) on our contract because it was after months and months and months of negotiations, and it was the best we could get.

Working in an environment where you are that unhappy is so unhealthy. If you are so unhappy, leave.

 

[tony609]

I have said for years I would pay $1.00 more for my sodas, $5.00 more for character meals per person , I also wish we could tip the characters and tip the people running the rides..some of my best memories are from chatting with them..etc etc.. ..IF Disney would pay its workers better... I know this is all small things, But multiply that by the huge amount of soda sold daily and it would make a difference.

I do agree that they did agree to take this job for XXX amount of money and I am sure Disney is upfront with the pay,hrs,schedule etc etc... Disney is a job for young kids living at home,retirees or someone looking to make extra money from their other full time job. You cannot support a family on a Disney paycheck.

 

[wtccheermom]

I worked in a unionized factory for 9 years and the pay & hours sucked. Of course when they hired me I knew exactly what I was getting paid and what hours I'd be working, so it's not like they deceived me or anything. Just like these WDW workers who are protesting. I eventually got so sick and tired of the wages and hours at my job, do you know what I did? I went out and secured student loans and earned my Bachelors Degree while working full time at that same factory and now I make a lot more. That was a hard several years, but I wanted out bad enough so I did what I had to. I doubt if I'd be in the same position now if I had just stood outside on the corner and protested.

Isn’t that the American way??? There has got to be something said for hard work and determination but it seems all that gets you today is higher taxes. I find it funny how so many think that everything in life has got to be FAIR!!!

Further, how about yourself in your job, or if you stay at home, how about your spouse. Are you happy to be making the same wage you were 5 years ago? how about 10 years ago? perhaps 20 years ago? With your reasoning we should be happy never seeing a pay increase. Or, just move on and find another job, after all they are out there in abundance in this economy

I would not be happy with no pay increase over a long period of time however I would look for other employment in the meantime and when that was secured I would move on. You know this year it was rumored that the military may not be getting a raise and well he was fine with that. We both agreed that we are thankful that he has a secure job with great benefits and that he has been getting a steady raise every Jan since he was commissioned in 04. So if it took a 3 year freeze of Jan pay raises to help with some economic difficulties our country was having than we were on board. I am not saying they do not have a right to picket but I think their gripes are silly because they are not even full time employees so that fact they are offered health care is a good thing and they really should not expect Disney to absorb the cost of the increase.

 

[tina.tina]

To my clients, people who have jobs are lucky.

 

[hookedonears]

I may be completely wrong, but it is my understanding that protesting on Disney owned property is grounds for immediate termination and protesting in a Disney costume is grounds for immediate termination. Not sure what that was all about.

 

[NYDisneyKid]

I may be completely wrong, but it is my understanding that protesting on Disney owned property is grounds for immediate termination and protesting in a Disney costume is grounds for immediate termination. Not sure what that was all about.

so either way you're dammed if you do and dammed if you don't

 

[hookedonears]

so either way you're dammed if you do and dammed if you don't

? They can protest all they want to in their own clothes, on someone else's private property, or on public property with the proper municipal permit.

 

[NYDisneyKid]

where exactly are the boundry lines for Disney property?

 

[hookedonears]

where exactly are the boundry lines for Disney property?

Don't know. Most of the time, groups like this will choose to protest as close to the main, most used entrance as possible.

 

[hookedonears]

I personally don't understand the purpose for unions. "OSHA" protects employees in the work place. There was a time when OSHA work place rules did not exist and unions were needed. Times have changed. There are millions of people out of work looking for jobs. If you want to know why almost every manufacturing job in the country has moved offshore, unions. If you want to see a direct result of what unions can do for a city, look at Detroit. Disney offers employment, they offer benefits. Here's the job, this is how much it pays, if they want it great, if they don't, they can go somewhere else. Become more educated and/or more skilled in another profession.

The vast, vast number of Disney Jobs are not much more than minimum wage jobs. If people are depending on a Disney paycheck to support their family, they are in trouble. A large number of people filling these minimum wage jobs are students, older (retirement age) people, and people looking for the health care benefits, with other sources of income in the family. If they come to Disney and accept one of these low paying jobs expecting to feed their family, like I said before, they're in trouble.

 

[Maus]

I have said for years I would pay $1.00 more for my sodas, $5.00 more for character meals per person , I also wish we could tip the characters and tip the people running the rides..some of my best memories are from chatting with them..etc etc.. ..IF Disney would pay its workers better... I know this is all small things, But multiply that by the huge amount of soda sold daily and it would make a difference.

I do agree that they did agree to take this job for XXX amount of money and I am sure Disney is upfront with the pay,hrs,schedule etc etc... Disney is a job for young kids living at home,retirees or someone looking to make extra money from their other full time job. You cannot support a family on a Disney paycheck.

No thank you. I find the existing prices high enough and that would also mean less people could afford to go. I also pay for the rides with my ticket and don't think that I should have to run around with dolar bills each day to pay the cm's. That is the job of the cooperation. I buy entertainment, service included. Disney is making nice high profits every year, it is the CEO's job to pay the employees, not the customers.
If the company would be struggeling I could understand the concern that employees are protesting, but not for a company that returns such big profits. It doesn't help the country if the gap between rich and poor get's bigger and bigger, all of us will feel the consequences of that one day, I hope you will all be on the 'rich' side.

 

[wtccheermom]

No thank you. I find the existing prices high enough and that would also mean less people could afford to go. I also pay for the rides with my ticket and don't think that I should have to run around with dolar bills each day to pay the cm's. That is the job of the cooperation. I buy entertainment, service included. Disney is making nice high profits every year, it is the CEO's job to pay the employees, not the customers.
If the company would be struggeling I could understand the concern that employees are protesting, but not for a company that returns such big profits. It doesn't help the country if the gap between rich and poor get's bigger and bigger, all of us will feel the consequences of that one day, I hope you will all be on the 'rich' side.

Well maybe you should live some place where there is not that gap and the government makes sure everyone is equal. I really hate the whole notion that the rich are greedy and should pay the price by exorbitant taxes. Many who are rich are that way because of hard work and dedication or because someone in their family worked hard so they didn't have too. The beauty of America is that if you want to do more with your life there are plenty of opportunities to do so and if you want a higher education there are many ways to go about it scholarships, student loans, grants, military and the list goes on.

 

[d-r]

Well maybe you should live some place where there is not that gap and the government makes sure everyone is equal. I really hate the whole notion that the rich are greedy and should pay the price by exorbitant taxes. Many who are rich are that way because of hard work and dedication or because someone in their family worked hard so they didn't have too. The beauty of America is that if you want to do more with your life there are plenty of opportunities to do so and if you want a higher education there are many ways to go about it scholarships, student loans, grants, military and the list goes on.

did you notice that 3.5 out of the 4 things you list were government-based? Well, all four if you consider public universities.

I don't know what it has to do with American citizens having the right to freedom of assembly and freedom of speech, but hey you are right we all do benefit from the government.

 

[Wadecool]

did you notice that 3.5 out of the 4 things you list were government-based? Well, all four if you consider public universities.

I don't know what it has to do with American citizens having the right to freedom of assembly and freedom of speech, but hey you are right we all do benefit from the government.

That's right! More government is always better! Freedom of assembly, freedom of speech, freedom to buy what we want or not buy what we don't want.... Wait, you mean we don't get that last one anymore? Who isn't excited about government bureaucrats getting their hands on our medical records? No way that can go terribly wrong. That's change we can believe in!

 

[ftballfan7]

I personally don't understand the purpose for unions. "OSHA" protects employees in the work place. There was a time when OSHA work place rules did not exist and unions were needed. Times have changed. There are millions of people out of work looking for jobs. If you want to know why almost every manufacturing job in the country has moved offshore, unions. If you want to see a direct result of what unions can do for a city, look at Detroit. Disney offers employment, they offer benefits. Here's the job, this is how much it pays, if they want it great, if they don't, they can go somewhere else. Become more educated and/or more skilled in another profession.


The vast, vast number of Disney Jobs are not much more than minimum wage jobs. If people are depending on a Disney paycheck to support their family, they are in trouble. A large number of people filling these minimum wage jobs are students, older (retirement age) people, and people looking for the health care benefits, with other sources of income in the family. If they come to Disney and accept one of these low paying jobs expecting to feed their family, like I said before, they're in trouble.

There are many states (like the one that I work in) that are not OSHA states. In these states many workers are exempt from OSHA regulations unless they are specifically adopted by the state. Even where OSHA regulates workplace safety, they do a very poor job of doing so and most of what they do is reactionary, as in after a death or serious injury has occurred. The incidence of injury/deaths in union workplaces is significantly lower than in non-union workplaces. Also, it is not the unions fault that jobs have moved out of our country. That lies with these supposed "fair trade" agreements which do not account for deplorable wages and working conditions elsewhere coupled with corparate greed which take advantage of them. Surely you dont think we should have 7 year olds working in factories for pennies a day so we can compete with other countries (or maybe you do).

The attitudes expressed in this thread are some of the biggest reasons that unions are necessary. A complete lack of respect for the working men and woman of this country. This idea that if they don't like it they should take the steps to get a better job misses the point. Someone has to do the job and they deserve a decent wage for doing it. noone is saying that a laborer should make the same as a CEO. Jobs which require more skill, education, training or involve more risk should pay more. That doesn't mean the growing gap between the top earners and the bottom earners isn't a huge problem.

 

[ftballfan7]

Isn’t that the American way??? There has got to be something said for hard work and determination but it seems all that gets you today is higher taxes. I find it funny how so many think that everything in life has got to be FAIR!!!
QUOTE]

I think it is funny how so many can see people not being treated fairly and say too bad, that's life, deal with it. Okay I guess not so much funny as sad.

History is filled with examples of people who ignore injustice until it affects them specifically. It really is too bad.

 

[ftballfan7]

Well maybe you should live some place where there is not that gap and the government makes sure everyone is equal. I really hate the whole notion that the rich are greedy and should pay the price by exorbitant taxes. Many who are rich are that way because of hard work and dedication or because someone in their family worked hard so they didn't have too. The beauty of America is that if you want to do more with your life there are plenty of opportunities to do so and if you want a higher education there are many ways to go about it scholarships, student loans, grants, military and the list goes on.

This isn't a discussion involving taxes, it is about the rights of people to organize in order to improve their lot in life. If you don't like that maybe you are the one who should move somewhere else where it is not allowed. Someday it will get to the point where the laborers that we all depend on will really organize and then those who don't have a proper appreciation for what they provide will acquire one in a hurry.

 

[tzvdmd]

REally????Do you think that the benefits and pay at the other parks are any better? I will gladly cross a picket line because I find a lot of the tactics they use are that of a school yard bully.

I agree. These companies are out of control with their bullying and their take it or leave it. They know the workers are over a barrel.