Disney paying a “living wage”. Sigh…

[Douglas Dubh]

When you look up and see your employer has increased revenues by 73%, it's more than fair to ask why you're not seeing an increase

Maybe because costs have also increased 73%?

 

[jjb1974]

Maybe because costs have also increased 73%?

"Maybe" is doing a lot of work in your sentence and it's not supported by Disney's own information:

See pages 3 and 8 at this link: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiQqti09b37AhWInGoFHXxOBaAQFnoECAkQAQ&url=https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/app/uploads/2022/08/q3-fy22-earnings.pdf&usg=AOvVaw3BTnbFqYCXEiHwBV2YR1-0

 

[DLgal]

Maybe because costs have also increased 73%?

They definitely haven't.

 

[Pickles516]

"Maybe" is doing a lot of work in your sentence and it's not supported by Disney's own information:

See pages 3 and 8 at this link: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiQqti09b37AhWInGoFHXxOBaAQFnoECAkQAQ&url=https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/app/uploads/2022/08/q3-fy22-earnings.pdf&usg=AOvVaw3BTnbFqYCXEiHwBV2YR1-0

While I may not like it, I can understand people being indifferent to the struggle of others. What I can never seem to understand, no matter how long I’ve used the internet, is how many people will jump into a conversation with a bunch of made up nonsense and actually put effort into trying to justify why the struggles of others are both good and deserved.

 

[Douglas Dubh]

"Maybe" is doing a lot of work in your sentence and it's not supported by Disney's own information:

I thought we were talking hypothetically, since increased revenues don’t always translate to increased profits. And that’s especially true when the revenues are increased following a very bad year.

 

[71 Truck]

When you look up and see your employer has increased revenues by 73%, it's more than fair to ask why you're not seeing an increase. Disney will raise its prices for inflation to protect that 73%, it will fight tooth and tail to not increase employee wages, also to protect that 73%.

Disney is screwing the folks, both customers and staff, who got them the 73%. How much money is enough?

Just because revenue is up 73% does not mean profits were up 73%.

One of the reasons my wife and I no longer go to the parks is because of the crazy price increases over the years. We were tired of pay in full price to go to a park that was half under construction. We reached a point where we were not getting the value for the price we paid. Even as construction finishes in the parks and new rides open it is still not worth the price to get into the park and the extra cost for the Genie system.

As far as Disney screwing cast members, maybe the cast members need better union representation to get a better contract, they are currently negociating one now if I am not mistaken.

 

[71 Truck]

While I may not like it, I can understand people being indifferent to the struggle of others. What I can never seem to understand, no matter how long I’ve used the internet, is how many people will jump into a conversation with a bunch of made up nonsense and actually put effort into trying to justify why the struggles of others are both good and deserved.

I do not think people are indifferent to the struggles of others, at least I am not.
I worked for Disney at a time when $6.00 dollars an hour was starting pay,would I have liked to have made more, sure but I knew what the pay was when I made the desiccation to work for them. I bettered my self within the company and within that first year I transferred to a better job paying $9.00 an hour.
There has to be a starting point, that's what the union is supposed to be doing for it's members.

I just find it odd that people think a person deserves a certain amount of pay based on where a person lives, how big their family is and other factors, not what they bring to the table.
Should a new untrained cast member be paid the same as a cast member who brings lets say 5 years experience as an electrician.

I have always said, for the most part that people are where they are at in life because they want to be there, if they wanted to be some place different they would do everything in their power to do something to be someplace else.

I an not putting down any one or the job they do because all jobs are important.
You don't make enough money as a custodian learn to be a chef.
You don't make enough money as a ride attendant learn to be an electrician.
It's up to them how much money they can make.

 

[71 Truck]

Of course, lots of cast members choose not to work full time. If they are scheduled to work eight hours, they’ll request to leave early. Yes, sometimes areas are short staffed and CM’s are required to work long hours. But often they aren’t, and many cast members appreciate not having to work full shifts.

When I first started working for Disney I worked in a location that had a lot of cast members. Every day a Manager would put up a ER "early release" list.
This would allow managers to cut their labor cost for the day and show a bigger profit.

Cast members would sign up if they wanted to leave. This would allow cast members to leave early and be paid for hours worked but leaving early would not be reflected on their record card.

I was amazed at the number of cast that wanted to leave. At one point when I was working as a lead I had to stop a manager from releasing people because we had not even hit the peak of how busy we would be for the day.

At one point Disney put a stop to it because full time cast members with full benefits were working less hours than part time cast with no benefits.

When I asked several cast members why they do this they told me they were only here for the benefits, not sure if this still true now.

In the last department I was in before I left the company there was always overtime. Of the approximately 30 plus people in my department I was one of two people my manager could count on to fill overtime shifts. I did not mind, I liked what I was doing for a job and the money was good.

 

[Pickles516]

I do not think people are indifferent to the struggles of others, at least I am not.
I worked for Disney at a time when $6.00 dollars an hour was starting pay,would I have liked to have made more, sure but I knew what the pay was when I made the desiccation to work for them. I bettered my self within the company and within that first year I transferred to a better job paying $9.00 an hour.
There has to be a starting point, that's what the union is supposed to be doing for it's members.

I just find it odd that people think a person deserves a certain amount of pay based on where a person lives, how big their family is and other factors, not what they bring to the table.
Should a new untrained cast member be paid the same as a cast member who brings lets say 5 years experience as an electrician.

I have always said, for the most part that people are where they are at in life because they want to be there, if they wanted to be some place different they would do everything in their power to do something to be someplace else.

I an not putting down any one or the job they do because all jobs are important.
You don't make enough money as a custodian learn to be a chef.
You don't make enough money as a ride attendant learn to be an electrician.
It's up to them how much money they can make.

My favorite part of your post is how you start by saying you’re not indifferent to the struggle of others, and then go on for multiple paragraphs about how and why you actually are.

 

[71 Truck]

My favorite part of your post is how you start by saying you’re not indifferent to the struggle of others, and then go on for multiple paragraphs about how and why you actually are.

I have read my post several times. I am not sure where or how I contradict myself. I may have a different belief to what indifference means.
If you could point out where and how I constrict my self I could re read it and look to see if I was wrong.
If I am wrong I will be the first to admit.

 

[DLgal]

I have read my post several times. I am not sure where or how I contradict myself. I may have a different belief to what indifference means.
If you could point out where and how I constrict my self I could re read it and look to see if I was wrong.
If I am wrong I will be the first to admit.

It's the whole "if you don't like your job, or it doesn't pay enough, just get a different one that is better" sentiment.

You ignore the fact that people must work to simply SURVIVE and they:

1. Usually can't afford to just up and quit a job

2. It's kind of hard to learn a new job/train/go to school when you have to work, by YOUR own admission, overtime or 2 or more jobs.

3. Not everyone CAN access higher education (that costs money) or has the skill set to "just do a different job." Some people have learning disabilities, or mental health struggles and simply cannot better themselves, so they have to do whatever job they can get.

4. It takes a great deal of privilege OR good luck (or a combination of those) to truly get ahead in life. Regardless of what you want to believe, there are people who will spend 50 years working as a cook, or a dishwasher, or a ride operator. It's what they can do. Maybe it's what they are best at. Maybe it's what truly makes them happy

Let's just stop pretending that it's as easy as "just get a better job or work hard to move up." Not everyone gets the same opportunities in life.

 

[sethschroeder]

I blame that solely on the fact many people just aren't interested in the jobs available. IMO many young people are looking for that perfect job.

To make it simple we have a higher workforce participation rate for prime working age (25-54) than anytime in the last decade except Aug 2019 to Feb 2020. Otherwise we are higher right now.

Your issue is tons of non-in person infrastructure was built during covid and snapped up workers that historically would make minimum wage.

Just look at Amazon warehouses and gig work (Uber, doordash, instacart, ect) as prime examples of where people went for jobs. Which left a void in other areas.

Gig work also provides a secondary income stream compared to needing to work in a different baseline service job for additional income.

 

[71 Truck]

It's the whole "if you don't like your job, or it doesn't pay enough, just get a different one that is better" sentiment.

You ignore the fact that people must work to simply SURVIVE and they:

1. Usually can't afford to just up and quit a job

2. It's kind of hard to learn a new job/train/go to school when you have to work, by YOUR own admission, overtime or 2 or more jobs.

3. Not everyone CAN access higher education (that costs money) or has the skill set to "just do a different job." Some people have learning disabilities, or mental health struggles and simply cannot better themselves, so they have to do whatever job they can get.

4. It takes a great deal of privilege OR good luck (or a combination of those) to truly get ahead in life. Regardless of what you want to believe, there are people who will spend 50 years working as a cook, or a dishwasher, or a ride operator. It's what they can do. Maybe it's what they are best at. Maybe it's what truly makes them happy

Let's just stop pretending that it's as easy as "just get a better job or work hard to move up." Not everyone gets the same opportunities in life.

First off I was not asking you for a response I was asking Pickles516 but thank you, by the way when you capitalize certain word are you yelling at me? I was told thats how people yell on the internet. You have done it in several responses. Yelling never accomplish anything and I think I may have done the same in one of my response to you if I did I apologize..
I am assuming we are still referring to Disney cast members because that was the original posters intent.

1. I never said for anyone who does not make enough money to just quit their job if I did please point it out and I will admit I was wrong. I did mention if Disney cast members did not like the contract they should vote no and all cast members should go on strike if they did not get things they wanted.

2. I know many people that not only worked two jobs but went to collage. I did not go to collage but worked two jobs and spent years in advanced technical schools. I am not talking about people having two full time jobs all tho at times I was working 70 hours a week and going to school at times. My wife carried a full credit load in collage,graduated in four years and at times was working a full time job and a part time job. With the advent of on line schools now It's even easier.

3. Talking about Disney cast members, Disney will pay for your education and your right not everyone has the skill set to just do a different job. I think you are using some extreme examples to try to prove your point. Disney does hire people with disability's and I think most everyone has the ability to better themself if they want to some extent.
To think just because some people are not able to better themself because of a disability in my opinion is wrong. If they can't better themself then you are right they have to do the job they have.

4. So what you are saying is that only privileged people or lucky people can only truly get ahead in life? In that regard I think you are wrong. I have known people that pulled them self out of poverty and all around bad surroundings to become very successful in life it was not privilege or luck it was hard work and a never give up attitude.
This started out as a talk about how people working at Disney can't make enough money to pay their bills. Spending 50 years doing something you are good at or are truly happy is an achievement and good for who ever is able to do that. But in the end this subject is about cast who cant pay their bills making what they make working for Disney. Working those kind of jobs does not keep anyone from having to work more than 40 hours a week to pay their bills, it's just a fact of life.

Once again talking about Disney cast members because that is what this post is supposed to be about, there are more opportunity's at Disney than any other job I have seen. The company covers so many different kinds of and types of job it's amazing and Disney gives you every opportunity to move up and succeed. Every one at Disney has the same opportunity.

 

[Pickles516]

I have read my post several times. I am not sure where or how I contradict myself. I may have a different belief to what indifference means.
If you could point out where and how I constrict my self I could re read it and look to see if I was wrong.
If I am wrong I will be the first to admit.

Saying that it’s odd to you that people want to be able to live in the area in which they work, and should be compensated in a way that facilitates that(which is literally the point of minimum wage). Viewing current cast members through the lens of your experience as one - what, 25-30 years ago? - as if it’s not a completely different economic landscape today. Stating that most people are where they are in life because they want to be there. Those all sound like a particularly outdated bootstrap-level of indifference to me.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

Saying that it’s odd to you that people want to be able to live in the area in which they work, and should be compensated in a way that facilitates that(which is literally the point of minimum wage). Viewing current cast members through the lens of your experience as one - what, 25-30 years ago? - as if it’s not a completely different economic landscape today. Stating that most people are where they are in life because they want to be there. Those all sound like a particularly outdated bootstrap-level of indifference to me.

I mean I’m indifferent but you seem a bit radical to me. If someone mentions an opinion of work hard or move on to a job that seems to compensate you the way you feel - it seems to trigger you.

 

[Pickles516]

I mean I’m indifferent but you seem a bit radical to me. If someone mentions an opinion of work hard or move on to a job that seems to compensate you the way you feel - it seems to trigger you.

Interesting that wanting people to not needlessly suffer poverty is radical to you.

 

[71 Truck]

Saying that it’s odd to you that people want to be able to live in the area in which they work, and should be compensated in a way that facilitates that(which is literally the point of minimum wage). Viewing current cast members through the lens of your experience as one - what, 25-30 years ago? - as if it’s not a completely different economic landscape today. Stating that most people are where they are in life because they want to be there. Those all sound like a particularly outdated bootstrap-level of indifference to me.

Thank you for your response.

Maybe it was my thinking that a person working in a fast food restaurant and wanting to live in Windermere Fl, in my mind it is an example that I never put into writing.

The economic landscape is different today than it was back then. As cost have gone up through history so have wages. For the most part wages usually never keep up with certain lifestyles henceforth my ideology of people either work more hours or find a different job that pays more. People had the same struggles back then as they do now. When I worked at Disney people complained about not making enough money, who ever really makes enough money of the ordinary working class.

I am not sure how old you are and I am not asking however I had my first real job back in the early 80s. Thing may have been different back then as was my thinking.
The statement I made about people being where they wanted to be in life is something I have lived by my self starting with that first real job. So if some people find that to be indifferent to them I may be wrong, and maybe I am but that was the way I was raised. I think it was also part of the way of life where I was raised.

When my wife and I left New Jersey back in the 90s I was making a substantial income. I decided I wanted to some day work for Disney, so thats what we did.
I went from making that substantial amount of money to making $6.10 an hour with a .25 cent raise after 90 days if my memory is correct.
My friends thought I was crazy for taking the pay cut I was taking and asked why don't you just do what you do in NJ in Fl. I said I wanted a change and lived by my people are where they are at in life ideal. The idea may be outdated but it is still true.

 

[zebrastreyepz]

Since I was 8 years old, I have had the privilege of being around and working with people with developmental disabilities. I'm 55 and still in the field.

Art Dykstra was the head leader of a company called Trinity Services (not religiously affiliated, just the name) in Joliet, IL.

And he taught me this: If companies don't care for the people taking care of people, you will have a disaster on your hands.

I get the industries are two totally different things, but the philosophy of caring for the carers applies to both because, as any long-time Disney fan knows, it's the CMs that make or break a Disney trip.

On our last trip in August, I went to the front desk at ASMu and asked for help getting to my room because I was dealing with the beginnings of a heat-related event. I was hoping for the use of a courtesy wheelchair so that my husband could get me to our room. Instead, I got a couple of bottles of Powerade, and an air-conditioned SUV to drive us there (we were in the way back) in less than 5 minutes. The CM also offered to get me medical help, many times, if I wanted it.

She took care of me.

And as much as I missed some things that were gone or not fully returned, it's THAT that keeps me coming back.

When THAT type of care is gone, I'll know it's time to quit making the effort.

The CMs DO deserve a better wage, IMO.

 

[Jonfw2]

Wages increased at a historic rate after Covid. 24% of employees in America received pay or bonuses that exceeded their former highest pay at that job. The most impacted sector? Accommodations and services- Ala, Disney employees- which rose over 18% YOY after the economy reopened.

While this is a great thing for those workers, do not forget this is also one of the leading causes for the inflation we've seen.

I appreciate that the "living wage" argument is important to ensure the conversation continues, but the facts on the ground say that services sectors' workers were wildly benefited by the economy reopening and its customers were not.

 

[Jonfw2]

Interesting that wanting people to not needlessly suffer poverty is radical to you.

Wanting people not to be in poverty is a notion, not an argument. For it to be an argument, you have to present a different way of doing things that would potentially solve the problem.

Also, the definitions of "needlessly" and "poverty" need to be examined before I can accept your notion.