I went over to Micechat to see what the reactions were over there, and I was pretty shocked to learn that I guess most of the union-bashers moved from that forum over to this one, since the thread there was pretty empathic toward those trying to make a living. I thought I would share this post from a former CM:
I am just in aw, as a person who roamed around the park allot as a cast member, all this talk of the lowly hourly cast member making a statement being among other things pathetic and downright regarded like scraps from the bottom of the barrel is mind boggling. It takes me back to the time when I would get complaints about things like, why does Disney let so many people in the park? (Especially in peak summer season). Why are there ant's while standing in line, doesn’t Disney make, like a billion dollars, they can’t afford some Raid? How come cast members talk to each other when they are on stage, back in Walt's day that would have been their heads? And oh no, how can a cast member be seen pumping gas down Harbor Blvd in costume, don’t they realize how they are destroying the very creation of the Walt Disney made?!?! Yes, I kid you not; I actually got complaints like this all the time. I mean just real benign stuff; you'd think that somehow these guests would be pulling your leg. But for the most part they would just wallow and complain till the cows went home (usually with the assistance of those ECV's).
Yet now I see when there is a real cause and why have cast members taken such a radical stance, evidently those who are so in love with the illusion are downright *******izing the very people who are a key support to the little park that Walt built. Those low skilled jobs do actually do something to keep the place clean, especially those who have decided to spend a fortune to stay at the happiest place on earth (I've met quite a few that have even gone as far as even using some of their life savings for the ultimate Disney vacation as dear old grandma wants to spend her last few months giving her grandkids the best!). But never mind forget that, after all these folks with little to none skill or so that's what every complainer or naysayer has regarded these cast members as being can just simply pack up and leave. Never mind the current state of things with the economy and gas prices evidently complainers and naysayers have been immune to it, after all why go to an overpriced resort with overpriced merchandise and overprice food that has gone through the hands of people making from pennies on the dollar to those who live paycheck to paycheck. Nope not good enough, complainers and naysayers say you got to do better than that!
What I find more hilarious is that the very same people who complained even about this as I’ve observed over the years reading this board are the ones that cry over the benign stuff I mentioned above (Let me be clear, I know not all are this way but there’s a good chunk out on here that do and have time and time over and again teeter totter on the opinion scale, you know who you are!). But of it all, this is what always tickled me about allot of the complainers and naysayers, these are two questions that I always thought was hilarious! "So overall how would you rate prices in this park?" With responses from excellent to poor, 90 percent would always say poor, but then the tides would miraculously change, "So on a scale from 10 meaning very much and 1 meaning not at all how much are you looking forward to visiting this park again?" Without fail just about 90 percent would always respond with 9 or 10. How I know this, I was a survey taker, yup those red shirts that some of you love to hate or complain when hot summer days melt your overpriced ice-cream bar. Irony at its best is how I see it.
Gee, I wonder, truly, what would Walt Do?
And here is another one from that thread from a retired Jungle Cruise skipper:
Ruining my magical vacation? Mickey's getting arrested? My maid is overpaid at $14 an hour? PLEASE. "Go find a better job!" Not too terribly long ago, Disney WAS the "better" job. Top rate for example, Attractions CM's has only increased PENNIES in the past 25 years. Where have the ticket prices gone? What could $10 an hour buy in the 80's compared to today? All this garbage about how people are only worth what they are paid is astonishing. Are you telling me that the CM's of yesteryear who were able to afford a house, a car and support a family are vastly superior and more valuable than today's CM's doing the same job?
The fact is, Disney's corporate overtaking in the early 80's had effectively destroyed the company's longterm future as the premier family entertainment outfit. Now we have shareholders looking for profits instead of maintaining the Disney name, as other posters have pointed out. Disney used to have hiring standards. Now, there's so many open positions and turnover is so high, they will take whatever they can get off the streets, whoever's willing to work for a gallon and a half of gasoline per hour after taxes.
Hey who's this complaining about Disney paying for health care fot PT's? If they don't, these workers are going to have to get health care some other way, which will result in higher insurance premiums for ALL of us. I'd feel a whole lot better about my AP dollars contributing to a single mom's health care plan rather than some shareholders making a few extra cents next quarter. Keep hiring day laborers from the Home Depot parking lot instead of a licenced contractor and keep lining the richest 1%'s pockets. It's your right as a capitalist American. Until we become the world's next third world nation.
Disney used to be a good place to work, and a great place to vacation. Now... a last resort job when In 'N Out won't hire you, and an increasingly more expensive place to blow your worthless dollars.
IMHO
Because Micechat seems to draw a Southern California base, with many CMs and former CMs, and this board seems to draw out-of-towners seeking vacation-planning tips, you don't often see these views here. But they are worth seeing, I know at least a few will agree.
Not a fan on universal heathcare due to the possible tax structure but I won't discount the need for a better healthcare sysytem.
