Should cast members be paid more?

[sparklynails23]

When you are paying less than McDonald's, the quality of your employees will be lower than McDonald's. Disney's employees are beginning to reflect their pay structure.

 

[just another guy]

$8.00 an hour X 30 hours a week X 52 (no vacations) = $12,480.00

Extra hours are easy to get and many work 50+

 

[PaulaSB12]

Who said if you pay peanuts you get monkeys? I mean look at how people are upset if a cm isn't the happiest person in the block yet you want them to be paid something that isn't a livable wage why?

 

[bicker]

I am seeing so many similarities in what happened to Americans whose farms were lost during the Great Depression and how life is today for people who've had the misfortune of losing good paying jobs to other countries so businesses can "make money for their stockholders". I also see a tremendous amount of the, "I got mine, the heck with everyone else" attitude amongst people who haven't experienced that misfortune (yet). This makes me believe that we WILL repeat history because we, as a country, are too foolish, stupid, greedy, ignorant, arrogant, or disinterested to want to learn from it.

Do keep in mind that that is happening at both the micro level and the macro level, so even if the realm of business in the US is turned on its head, we still have to remember that there will be businesses outside the US that will be willing to jump in and steal the business that US businesses now serve. As long as Joe Consumer will buy from a Chinese company that underpays its workers, American companies trying to compete with that Chinese company, would be limited in their ability to change to a model where they pay their workers better, because if they change too much, then Chinese companies will jump right into the market, under-price the American companies, and the American companies wouldn't be able to sell anything.

FTR, I believe CMs should get living wage pay on full-time jobs with benefits.

And I bet you'd be willing to pay that much more for your vacations, as long as every one was doing so. I would too.

When you treat your workforce humanely, employees naturally invest more of themselves into their tasks and do a better job which, in turn, profits your company even more.

That's a philosophy I used to teach back in the 1980s. Business Guru (of the time) Phil Crosby called it "Quality is Free".

We were wrong.

While I wish what you are saying there is true, it isn't. There are definitely benefits to be had - no question - what you can't say is what you wrote there - that making the added investment in worker compensation will result in more profitability for the business. We learned the hard way that that was not even close to correct.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

I wish life was so black and white. There really is no place for many of these people to go. Another poster mentioned that many are non-skilled labor. That is true. It's not like they can just step into another position elsewhere.

I don't know what it is like in other parts of the country, but there are literally very few jobs available in the Orlando area at this time. They hold job fairs and thousands show up for a handful of jobs. It is such a sad situation. I'm sure many of the people currently caught up in low paying jobs would jump in a heartbeat if there was anything better available.

Obvioulsy, I had to simplify the situation. I'm sure that entire books could be written on the subject of setting appropriate compensation levels. The fundamental fact is that the market, not Disney or the employees, set the pay rate. Disney shareholders would prefer to pay the lowest amount possible. I'm sure that they would love to staff the park primarily with unpaid volunteers if it was possible. Employees, on the other hand, want to make the most money possible.

Disney's offers what they think is the lowest pay rate that will allow them to attract and retain good cast members. Cast members accept or decline Disney's offers based on whether the entire compensation package, including the joy of working at a theme park, is better or worse than they could get elsewhere. If Disney paid more, it would be unfair to all the people that would like a job at Disney and would be willing to do it for less money.

The problem is not the greed of Disney shareholders. They've always been greedy. The problem is that there are so many people for whom the low wages that Disney offers is their preferred option. The solution is not to force Disney to pay above market wages. The solution is to improve economic conditions so that workers have better options.

Unfortunately, there is no consensus on how to improve economic conditions. Some people say that we need the government to increase demand by borrowing money and spending it. Others say that we need to increase demand by lowering taxes. There are almost as many other suggestions as their are economists to suggest them.

 

[Hannathy]

Sorry, but no - they're not paid a living wage. I'm being generous with the 30 hours per week and even then I don't see how anyone can afford food, rent and utility payments on $925.00 a month even if they are single. And I didn't deduct for state or local taxes, either. That means even less money in that worker's pocket.

Since when is 30 hours a week full time? Add another 20 and then you are talking what most people are working in a week, but you have to at least use 40.

Are you also including in there that if you are low income your kids can get free or reduced meals and school fees, food stamps? etc.

Just last week my DS in 6th grade had an assignment to write 2 paragraphs on minimum wage issues and even he knew to write that min. wage jobs were not meant to be your life work and they were only "starter jobs" to get you work experience. He also concluded that min wage should be an incentive to stay in school and to get training to further yourself, that you could not plan on living on min wage.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

...Sorry, but no - they're not paid a living wage....

Simply said, you are wrong. I have lived on less. Many do every day.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

The US Military has different pay levels for those with and without dependents.

A few points:

* As tough as Christmas Day at WDW might be, it is not combat.
* Housing is included in the contract for those in the military. The "extra pay" is an allowance for the increased housing required for a family when you get married and move out of the barracks (BAQ).
* You lose that extra money if they put you in housing - you only get to keep it if they cannot put you in housing.
* Again, all of this is guaranteed in your contract when you sign the enlistment forms - it isn't something that you demand at a later date.
* The pay, per hour, of someone in the military at an entry level is much lower than minimum wage - much lower - much, much lower. Starting pay for an E-1 = $1,178/mo for a limitless number of hours of work per week.

 

[ICF]

Just curious....how much do some of you think they should be making?

Many of these job require little to no education and most cast members are entry level type positions. What do you guys think they should make? $20K / year? $30K? 40K?

Making $20K is $9.61/hr (assuming 40 hrs a week & no OT)
Making $30K is $14.42 /hr
Making $40K is $19.23 /hr

For people that say you can't live on $15K a year...maybe / maybe not. People do it..

Get a roommate if your single, if your married and your spouse works your income is added together and likely into at least the low $30's.

People should NOT be taking these types of jobs if they think they are going to get rich and live a great life from day 1. Take the job, work your way up and hopefully you can reach a pay level that you are happy with. That's the same as any other company.

 

[JCJRSmith]

A few points:

* As tough as Christmas Day at WDW might be, it is not combat.
* Housing is included in the contract for those in the military. The "extra pay" is an allowance for the increased housing required for a family when you get married and move out of the barracks (BAQ).
* You lose that extra money if they put you in housing - you only get to keep it if they cannot put you in housing.
* Again, all of this is guaranteed in your contract when you sign the enlistment forms - it isn't something that you demand at a later date.
* The pay, per hour, of someone in the military at an entry level is much lower than minimum wage - much lower - much, much lower. Starting pay for an E-1 = $1,178/mo for a limitless number of hours of work per week.

I am well aware of how it works - just look under my name to the left

 

[Feralpeg]

Another question: Disney cast members have a CHOICE about joining the union? I noticed comments on the you tube video of people saying they didn't join the union because it was too expensive
Everywhere I've ever worked that had a union, there was no choice. Well actually, my current employer allows us the 'choice' of not joining the union, but you still have to pay the union dues and the union will not represent you if there is some kind of issue where they would otherwise step up for you if you were a member.....so either way you have to pay the union dues.

Disney CMs are not required to join the union. All CMs work under the union agreement. If there is a problem and a CM is not a member of the union, the union will not represent them in any way.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

I am well aware of how it works - just look under my name to the left

Yeah, I really posted the info for the rest of the board. Those of us who have served know that it isn't just a pay raise because you got married and/or had children.

 

[wvjules]

My response to the original question is that CM's (and all employed folk) should be paid a salary commensurate with the job they do, that is both fair and equitable as well as supportable by the company they work for.

In other words, they should be paid a fair wage, in line with the industry for the job they are doing and a salary the company can afoord to pay.

Isn't that what Disney is doing?

 

[Acklander]

Only on welfare... which is one problem with our current society.

Personally I think welfare should be a work program. Those that can work would be expected to show up and clean parks, the sides of roads, if they have a child care licence watch the children of other in the program etc. Those that can't work for some real reason would instead be on disability (although this would mean fixiing that process so it doesn't take soo long). The work would obviously need to be flexible for interviews (since the point is to get them off this program) and such but if you don't show up for no reason you get cut off. It also should pay slightly less then the min. wage for real jobs so there is an incentive to leave it.

Comrade, I agree totally. Everyone should work to the best of their ability. There is always going to be a small population that will never be able to work (severe disabilities) and we as a society should ensure for their care, but other than that, a job for all, which leads to a home for all, food for all, and medical care for all.

 

[mrsdon]

My son is a FT CM living on his own in an income restricted apt
It is a tiny studio, but he is happy
It has 3 big closets and a nice kitchen and small bath
He also has a car payment, ins, and calble bill
He mannges to pay all his bills, has NEVER been late with of his bills
he also buys all his own food
He is a 4 year CM and makes less that $8 an hour
The only thing he does differnet is he works 6 days a week

 

[Planogirl]

I have my suspicions that they could pay more without eating into profit much. I think that if a business operates efficiently that they can sometimes find more money. For example, a local chain of convenience stores is much nicer than the others, charges less for items and also pays their staff more. They are also extremely successful.

My big question is why people are willing to work under these conditions. I understand that it's hard to find other work nowadays but people were signing up back when jobs were more available too.

 

[Art 1]

Lots of fees go up when an employers pay roll goes up. Matching FICA, SUTA, FUTA, workers comp, general liability to name a few. If I give one of my guys say a $1000 bonus, it costs me a good bit more than that just to give him the bonus. So if WDW were to give each employee a $1 an hour increase, one could only imagine how much more it would cost them per month.

 

[sparklynails23]

My son is a FT CM living on his own in an income restricted apt
It is a tiny studio, but he is happy
It has 3 big closets and a nice kitchen and small bath
He also has a car payment, ins, and calble bill
He mannges to pay all his bills, has NEVER been late with of his bills
he also buys all his own food
He is a 4 year CM and makes less that $8 an hour
The only thing he does differnet is he works 6 days a week

He's in PUBLIC HOUSING? Then, Disney definitely needs to pay more. When we, the taxpayers, are supplementing a Disney employee's standard of living, Disney is not paying their employees enough. They definitely are not paying them enough to attract the kind of CMs that will produce, reliable quality results. That Disney Institute training is a big joke.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

He's in PUBLIC HOUSING?...

Read again.

 

[sparklynails23]

Read again.

You read it. She says he lives in an "income restricted apartment," i.e. public housing.