When will the contract extension expire for Disney Employees?

[monica9]

Trying to gage if we are going to end up not getting to go to the parks and need to make other plans.
Thanks

 

[OKW Lover]

The two sides are currently operating under the old contract while negotiations continue. There is no prediction as to when either side may decided to strike/lockout but my guess is that drastic event is highly unlikely.

 

[Narcoossee11]

Union negotiation happens every few years.
It does NOT affect operations since what rate increase CM get, goes back to end of old contract/start of new contract.
CM get paid for that new rate for hours worked since start of new contract.

 

[OKW Lover]

It does affect operations since what rate increase CM get, goes back to end of old contract/start of new contract.

How does this affect operations? Or is it a typo and did you mean to say it does not affect operations?

 

[monica9]

The two sides are currently operating under the old contract while negotiations continue. There is no prediction as to when either side may decided to strike/lockout but my guess is that drastic event is highly unlikely.

I thought the contract said they can’t strike while until the contract ends. So hoping the contract doesn’t end in 8 days!

 

[monica9]

How does this affect operations? Or is it a typo and did you mean to say it does not affect operations?

I read if everyone strikes obviously they’d have to close down the park

 

[Narcoossee11]

How does this affect operations? Or is it a typo and did you mean to say it does not affect operations?

Sorry, typo.... Thank you for correcting.

 

[Narcoossee11]

Striking normally means CM can March and hold signs (off property) with no recourse from Disney.
CM normally come to work.

 

[StageTek]

I thought the contract said they can’t strike while until the contract ends. So hoping the contract doesn’t end in 8 days!

You're going in 8 days. Disney employees will not agree to a strike that closes down the parks while negotiations are going on. Even if the contract were to end it will take several weeks for a work stoppage strike. You trip will not be affected.

 

[xipotec]

How can we support them?

 

[monica9]

I’m curious, they are starting at $15 per hour and Florida minimum wage is$11-$12per hour?
In Ct our minimum is less than $15 and our cost of living is extremely high plus we get a ton of taxes taken out.
I work at the biggest hospital and a lot of people who hold a degree are starting at $16. I’m not saying that Disney workers don’t have degrees but I’m just curious if $20 per hour starting rate is really reasonable.
I only say $20 because that’s what I’ve read in a few articles. It might not be accurate information.

 

[DLgal]

I’m curious, they are starting at $15 per hour and Florida minimum wage is$11-$12per hour?
In Ct our minimum is less than $15 and our cost of living is extremely high plus we get a ton of taxes taken out.
I work at the biggest hospital and a lot of people who hold a degree are starting at $16. I’m not saying that Disney workers don’t have degrees but I’m just curious if $20 per hour starting rate is really reasonable.
I only say $20 because that’s what I’ve read in a few articles. It might not be accurate information.

I think they are asking for $18/hr as a starting wage.

 

[goneviral]

I’m curious, they are starting at $15 per hour and Florida minimum wage is$11-$12per hour?
In Ct our minimum is less than $15 and our cost of living is extremely high plus we get a ton of taxes taken out.
I work at the biggest hospital and a lot of people who hold a degree are starting at $16. I’m not saying that Disney workers don’t have degrees but I’m just curious if $20 per hour starting rate is really reasonable.
I only say $20 because that’s what I’ve read in a few articles. It might not be accurate information.

The math on living in Central Florida suggests that a single-family home needs a full-time salaried income of $25-$26 per hour to meet essential needs.

 

[xipotec]

I’m curious, they are starting at $15 per hour and Florida minimum wage is$11-$12per hour?
In Ct our minimum is less than $15 and our cost of living is extremely high plus we get a ton of taxes taken out.
I work at the biggest hospital and a lot of people who hold a degree are starting at $16. I’m not saying that Disney workers don’t have degrees but I’m just curious if $20 per hour starting rate is really reasonable.
I only say $20 because that’s what I’ve read in a few articles. It might not be accurate information.

sounds like the hospital needs a negotiation as well…

 

[StageTek]

I’m curious, they are starting at $15 per hour and Florida minimum wage is$11-$12per hour?
In Ct our minimum is less than $15 and our cost of living is extremely high plus we get a ton of taxes taken out.
I work at the biggest hospital and a lot of people who hold a degree are starting at $16. I’m not saying that Disney workers don’t have degrees but I’m just curious if $20 per hour starting rate is really reasonable.
I only say $20 because that’s what I’ve read in a few articles. It might not be accurate information.

In this specific negotiation the issue isn't about having or not having a degree. This contract covers six unions under the Service Trade Council, among them housekeepers, bus drivers and culinary. That $20 rate would happen on the last year of a five year contract - so 2027.

It seems reasonable to me. I agree with @xipotec, it seems the people with degrees at your hospital need more money, too.

 

[AvidDisReader]

Disney has offered $1 hr increase immediately, the union want $3 hr immediately. That appears to be the biggest sticking point.

 

[OKW Lover]

I thought the contract said they can’t strike while until the contract ends. So hoping the contract doesn’t end in 8 days!

Technically the contract already expired. By mutual agreement, the parties are operating under the terms of the old agreement while they negotiate the revisions.

I read if everyone strikes obviously they’d have to close down the park

Not necessarily. Florida is a "right to work" state and not all eligible CM's are actually union members. Certainly a large percentage are members and presumably would honor the picket lines. Non-union and management CM's will attempt to fill the gap. Would Disney decide to close down the parks?

How can we support them?

Continue to visit Disney.

 

[RivShore]

I’m curious, they are starting at $15 per hour and Florida minimum wage is$11-$12per hour?
In Ct our minimum is less than $15 and our cost of living is extremely high plus we get a ton of taxes taken out.
I work at the biggest hospital and a lot of people who hold a degree are starting at $16. I’m not saying that Disney workers don’t have degrees but I’m just curious if $20 per hour starting rate is really reasonable.
I only say $20 because that’s what I’ve read in a few articles. It might not be accurate information.

There is a labor supply issue in central FL, with extremely low unemployment, and they have had trouble filling positions at current rates. Also, living here, I can confirm that cost for housing is not that different from the suburban northeast. Houses cost a bit less for similar and property taxes are less but the increased cost of insurance wipes a chunk of that out.
That being said, for the most part it seems these are low skilled entry level jobs, there has to be a point where the wage is out of line with the service provided. You can easily see where this goes - Disney will automate jobs away; push more on us, the customers, like they have with self checkin/out at hotels; reduce cleaning; and increase prices. This will lead to less visitors, which will lead to less labor needed, which will lead to layoffs. Maybe all that happens anyway but a higher starting wage will certainly accelerate it.

 

[Madteaparty001]

There is a labor supply issue in central FL, with extremely low unemployment, and they have had trouble filling positions at current rates. Also, living here, I can confirm that cost for housing is not that different from the suburban northeast. Houses cost a bit less for similar and property taxes are less but the increased cost of insurance wipes a chunk of that out.
That being said, for the most part it seems these are low skilled entry level jobs, there has to be a point where the wage is out of line with the service provided. You can easily see where this goes - Disney will automate jobs away; push more on us, the customers, like they have with self checkin/out at hotels; reduce cleaning; and increase prices. This will lead to less visitors, which will lead to less labor needed, which will lead to layoffs. Maybe all that happens anyway but a higher starting wage will certainly accelerate it.

I always hate this argument. 'Low skill jobs' is just a fancy way to say you think their work is worth less then someone sitting in an office putting in the same 40 hours of work a week. I would argue that the stress associated with customer facing jobs should be paid more, just like those in skill trades breaking their bodies doing physical labor. But let's ignore you looking down your nose at customer service jobs and speak strictly numbers. Automation is expensive, this has been threatened for decades that if they have to pay higher wages that the jobs would just go away. Automation still needs oversight, and if it goes down then so does the whole business so companies aren't exactly jumping at it. Just look at the chaos that ensues when Genie+ breaks. The automation you see popping up today is not because wages are on the rise, it's because there isn't enough people in the workforce to pull from because of this 'low job skill' attitude that has people avoiding the customer service sector like the plague.

A living wage, as in a wage you can actually live off of without assistance, in Orange county for a single adult is considered $18.85/hr (source: https://livingwage.mit.edu/counties/12095). Which means what the union is asking for isn't unreasonable. One of the reasons Henry Ford was so successful is that he paid his employees enough money to buy the product they were producing, that's good business. Look at what happened to Southwest, a company created and run by accountants lead to one of the biggest meltdowns in airline history because they cut corners, that's bad business.

Iger did an interview not long ago in which he said: “If I have regrets,” he went on, “it would be one, and that is that, we were one of the first companies, by the way, to go to $10 an hour as the starting wage. We were being pushed to go to 15. There was some hesitation in that regard because of the cost associated with it. We should have done that right away. My opinion.” (source: https://wdwnt.com/2022/03/former-disney-ceo-bob-iger-speaks-about-importance-of-corporate-statements-and-regrets-not-raising-disney-minimum-wage-sooner/)

Well wages are on the rise again, it's time for him to put his money where his mouth is.

 

[RivShore]

Well wages are on the rise again, it's time for him to put his money where his mouth is.

Make that his and our money...

Automation is expensive, this has been threatened for decades that if they have to pay higher wages that the jobs would just go away.

Have you not been to a Target, Walmart or supermarket in the last few years? They have gone from a dozen or more manned registers to self checkout and one or two manned registers.