OMG!Angry Cast Memembers and Picketers

[Queenbillabong]

In the pictures, it does not look like the actual characters from the park were protesting, but rather people dressed up (I saw Minnie Mouse and the Evil Queen - several people had ears on, etc.).

I think the issue that a lot of the hotel guests had (as I would have) is not the fact that they were protesting, but that they were doing it so loudly (Mariachi band at 7 a.m.?? blowing horns and banging at 6 a.m.??) and so early.

 

[SeattleGirl]

But the article said that it was hotel/hospitality workers. Not characters.
And since the actual costume belongs to Disneyland, it would be really bad if the actual character wore it to protest her employer....
And wait...aren't benefits something that are *agreed upon* by employer and Union groups? Therefore, the Union agreed to anything that happened to benefits, right? So....if they agreed to it 6 months ago, why protest now?

I'm not looking to create conflict (I do that in real life, I just wanted to put another perspective on it. I think my views are valid even if the picketing is only hospitality workers (the article I read indicated it was a broad cross-section of park employees). Also, from what I read, their contract expired in January and they have been unable to agree upon a new one. Disney's proposal (v. simplified) is to cut benefits to part time workers.

I imagine it's just a tough position to be in and I was surprised that no one here took any sort of pro-union stance.

 

[TheZue]

I imagine it's just a tough position to be in and I was surprised that no one here took any sort of pro-union stance.

From my experience, people who are pro union tend to back off on their support when it impacts their free time. Our projectionists union was broken a few years back and when they went on strike nobody respected their picket lines. I found that pretty hypocritical considering people will yell and scream for the public unions here and refuse to work around their pickets, but they wouldn't miss a movie for people who were actually being replaced with minimum wage workers.

Anyways, I wouldn't really care if they woke me up since I do think they have a valid point and the Disney workers should make more money. But I always have a real problem when kids are being involved, and if they were fully dressed up as characters it could shatter the belief that it's really Cinderella or whatever. I just think they can make their point without impacting the kids.

 

[MagicalPins]

First off, let me start out by saying that I feel all (except for higher up management) Disney Cast Members don't get paid enough.

With that said, I am a firm believer that if you are unhappy with the benefits that a job offers, go find another with benefits that meet your standards.

 

[mommy2allyandaveri]

I would think this protesting business would encourage Disney to come to an agreement, the last thing they probably want is angry guests at the happiest place on earth. Especially when you are shelling out that kind of money to stay on site.

Smart move on the union though I guess. I hate unions...

 

[dizneekrazee]

I'm not looking to create conflict (I do that in real life, I just wanted to put another perspective on it. I think my views are valid even if the picketing is only hospitality workers (the article I read indicated it was a broad cross-section of park employees). Also, from what I read, their contract expired in January and they have been unable to agree upon a new one. Disney's proposal (v. simplified) is to cut benefits to part time workers.

I imagine it's just a tough position to be in and I was surprised that no one here took any sort of pro-union stance.

I am a Disney employee (CM), and although I do not work at the parks, I know we do not get paid well. I have worked with the company for 4 years now, and I have received a total of 2.00 in raises in the last 4 years, and 1.00 of that was becuase of a promotion. This year, the entire Disney Store teams comapny wise did not receive a raise. Our reviews (and raises) are generally in April, this year they said nobody was getting them because they did not make enough money. Supposedly they said we lost 56.8million doolars this year. Well duh, look at the economy. Maybe if they changed their return policy we wouldnt have lost that much. I do not know how the medical benefits work, as I do not receive them as part-time. See how well it is. I stay because I love my job, and the perks too!!

I can totally see why they are protesting, but the costumes need to go, even if they were not Disney property.

 

[Albort]

I am a Disney employee (CM), and although I do not work at the parks, I know we do not get paid well. I have worked with the company for 4 years now, and I have received a total of 2.00 in raises in the last 4 years, and 1.00 of that was becuase of a promotion. This year, the entire Disney Store teams comapny wise did not receive a raise. Our reviews (and raises) are generally in April, this year they said nobody was getting them because they did not make enough money. Supposedly they said we lost 56.8million doolars this year. Well duh, look at the economy. Maybe if they changed their return policy we wouldnt have lost that much. I do not know how the medical benefits work, as I do not receive them as part-time. See how well it is. I stay because I love my job, and the perks too!!

I can totally see why they are protesting, but the costumes need to go, even if they were not Disney property.

yeah, the whole costume off at the picket line doesnt sound right. I have a hard time just taking a balloon from backstage to my car let alone a cinderella dress out.

The whole park is losing money. Disney is just getting greedy and bumping up the price constantly. In like 2 years, i saw the ticket prices jump from $71-$91. Lots and lots of Benefits that i used to enjoy all disappear. I used to love working at Disney, but things has changed as far as i know. Its just a simple job imo.

just fyi, they actually been protesting for awhile. We were notified around Feb 2008 that they will be doing so. They said that if us CMs talk to them with our costumes on, we get fired on the spot, kinda harsh. :\ I been hearing a lot of mix stories such as Disney is willing to talk and negotiate but apparently the union is shutting them out. I may be wrong though.

 

[scooter15]

The whole park is losing money. Disney is just getting greedy and bumping up the price constantly. In like 2 years, i saw the ticket prices jump from $71-$91. Lots and lots of Benefits that i used to enjoy all disappear. I used to love working at Disney, but things has changed as far as i know. Its just a simple job imo.

Theme parks do not make money on admission. Its a known fact in the industry. They raise the prices for another reason. CMs have been losing certain benefits for a long time. I worked there 15 years ago and I had more "benefits" than you guys have now. The "magic" does seem to die for many after a few years. It did for me and it took me a while to even return as a guest after I left. But I do have to say that things are a lot more lenient than when I worked there.

They said that if us CMs talk to them with our costumes on, we get fired on the spot, kinda harsh. :\ I been hearing a lot of mix stories such as Disney is willing to talk and negotiate but apparently the union is shutting them out. I may be wrong though.

Probably has to do with an agreement with your union right now. If you were caught in costume on the picket line even if just to talk to them and it just happens to show up on the OCRegister or LA Times, it would create a nightmare for your union. I've seen it during a strike at my old job.

 

[Albort]

Theme parks do not make money on admission. Its a known fact in the industry. They raise the prices for another reason. CMs have been losing certain benefits for a long time. I worked there 15 years ago and I had more "benefits" than you guys have now. The "magic" does seem to die for many after a few years. It did for me and it took me a while to even return as a guest after I left. But I do have to say that things are a lot more lenient than when I worked there.

lenient seems to be toward things that they dont make money on. Like Disney look no longer seems to be a big issue anymore.

They been insanely strict now on the things that we make money on, hence creating a lot of annoyance but CMs have decided in my department to create more annoyance for the managers and unfortunately to guest as well. We have a issue with a balloon to where if a guest lost their balloons(flew off the string), were not allowed to give them new ones anymore. yes even if you have evidence, you still cant get a new balloon. We tried to have this rule changed by has been unsuccessful.

 

[TheZue]

lenient seems to be toward things that they dont make money on. Like Disney look no longer seems to be a big issue anymore.

They been insanely strict now on the things that we make money on, hence creating a lot of annoyance but CMs have decided in my department to create more annoyance for the managers and unfortunately to guest as well. We have a issue with a balloon to where if a guest lost their balloons(flew off the string), were not allowed to give them new ones anymore. yes even if you have evidence, you still cant get a new balloon. We tried to have this rule changed by has been unsuccessful.

Wow that's crappy. When my son was two we got him a balloon and literally we didn't get more than five feet away when it came unattached from the string and ended up in a tree. If we hadn't gotten a new one I actually would have been annoyed since it was clearly not tied well. I doubt I would ever have bought another balloon.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

im sorry for you cm's it sounds like things need to be fixed. i hope the ecconmie goes up so you guys get paid right and with benifets

 

[RudemanRB]

Without reading every last post (yeah I know it's a Sin)
I've got to side with the Union. CM's make Peanuts. some make $9 and hr.
but they put forward more professionalism than folks that I work with who make 80K+ a year.

These CM's help create a magical experience for our kids, and well yeah us too!

So yeah they are human, and cut them a little slack when they are fighting for the right to feed their families. and to go 6+ months without a contract is a slap in the face to the workers. I had a friend who was a CM she was a manager, she told me they had to be to work an hr early and in their ready room. they didn't get paid for it.

DL is like any other corporate giant. they will wait until the last moment to resolve any and all contracts union or vendor.


Rudy

 

[bumbershoot]

I would think this protesting business would encourage Disney to come to an agreement, the last thing they probably want is angry guests at the happiest place on earth. Especially when you are shelling out that kind of money to stay on site.
\

But it's been going on for awhile. Doesn't seem to be working.

We have a issue with a balloon to where if a guest lost their balloons(flew off the string), were not allowed to give them new ones anymore. yes even if you have evidence, you still cant get a new balloon. We tried to have this rule changed by has been unsuccessful.

Except for cases where it JUST happened (like when DH spilled his coffee while leaving WWS and the CMs told him to go in and say "CM's name said I could get a refill free", or the balloon untying a few feet away), I have to say, I agree with the new policy.

But then, I've decided I despise those balloons, and if my son hadn't been so sad when his big balloon got caught in a tree while leaving HoJo to go back to the parks, I would have danced with joy that that thing wouldn't be blocking my view, banging into people behind us (when I let the string go long b/c I was tired of it being in my face), and so on. They look SO pretty, but they are SO obnoxious!

Sorry albort, but I agree with The Man on this one.

 

[dizneekrazee]

Like I said before, I dont work in the parks, but in the stores. In May, when 88 stores went inot liquidation (mine being one of them), the WDC started treating those of us in the liquidation stores like crap-ola. So many things were taken from us, so many things were not passed down the grape-vine to us, etc. They had originally told us that if our store was in liquidation, you could not transfer to another store, you just had to reapply and start all over. (Thank goodness in the last week they let us transfer), our CM discounts were taken away from us, even though we were still working. There was a possiblity we were not going to be receiving our comp tickets (which still have not come). We were out of the loop for so long when we finally did go back (for those of us that transferred), we had to re-learn new things that everybody else already knew about. Many, many, of my fellow CMs didnt want to transfer becuase they were not happy with the way WDC was treating us.

In the end, I am just glad I got to stay

 

[Albort]

But then, I've decided I despise those balloons, and if my son hadn't been so sad when his big balloon got caught in a tree while leaving HoJo to go back to the parks, I would have danced with joy that that thing wouldn't be blocking my view, banging into people behind us (when I let the string go long b/c I was tired of it being in my face), and so on. They look SO pretty, but they are SO obnoxious!

Sorry albort, but I agree with The Man on this one.

hey, its a $7 balloon, it should be well worth the banging and struggling.

Wow that's crappy. When my son was two we got him a balloon and literally we didn't get more than five feet away when it came unattached from the string and ended up in a tree. If we hadn't gotten a new one I actually would have been annoyed since it was clearly not tied well. I doubt I would ever have bought another balloon.

Lets use the quote from TheZue as an example. At the current policy. Yes, the vendor SAW the balloon fly away BUT we cant just give you another balloon. Either a manager/lead would have to be there when it happens or its no deal. You have two choice, either go to City Hall to get a voucher for it OR pay another $7 for another balloon. The previous policy would be that we take your proof aka the weight and we just give you a new one with a new weight and make sure its tied.

Its was never NO annoyance for us, its more of an annoyance for guest who saw their balloon fly away and have to go to City Hall first just to get another one as well as having to find the balloon vendor. Not only that, ive seen guest argue with us about it, saying its our own fault blah blah blah, and they should get another balloon right here, right now without having to go to city hall. What can we do. :\ we can either get in trouble for being short on our funds that goes on our records or just have pissed off guest.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

thank god my son dosnet like balloons any more

 

[bumbershoot]

I wonder if that's why the balloon CM tested the balloon before handing it over in May? I didn't remember that testing from September. She also put TWO weights on it. When she tested it it started to slip, so she started over.

 

[TheZue]

Beyond the pay issues and everything that policy just screams of a lack of respect for their employees & guests. It's a terrible policy. If you can't trust you staff to know when to hand out a balloon that cost Disney pennies that's pretty sad, and incredibly insulting to the employees. Even McDonalds trusts their employees to determine when to hand out an apple pie without a manager.

 

[Albort]

I wonder if that's why the balloon CM tested the balloon before handing it over in May? I didn't remember that testing from September. She also put TWO weights on it. When she tested it it started to slip, so she started over.

Lightening Mcqueen and Tow Mater requires 2 weights because they cars so they are heavier than others.

i actually did that once, tied a weight to it and i let it go and it kinda flew away.

 

[ploeb]

I doubt Cinderella was out there because I'm pretty sure they don't let the costumes out of the park! Tell your daughter it was Cinderella's evil step sister in disguise!

I looked out the window, and was Cinderella! Not the costume that she wears in the park, but the ones from the Disney Store. I HIGHLEY doubt it was a CM, but most little kids would not know the difference.