Disney Offers Unions $15/Hr. by 2021

[hertamaniac]

Oh yeah, I agree and something the union should watch out for - I wasn't thinking that now they have to work more hours at non-OT rates, more that they wouldn't need to work extra hours to make the same $ (so can get same $ in less hours) if the pay goes up ... so perhaps they give in a bit on the optional OT type things, not that they agree to having to work more hours and now just at the base rate

The other aspect could be a red herring negotiating tool employed by Disney.

If they succeed at reducing/eliminating the OT rates, they can use the current labor for additional hours without having to hire additional resources (work them longer with minimal $ impact). This could be the gambit Disney is trying to achieve. If they can minimize headcount, and it's associated overhead, while still paying a "living wage", they are in an advantageous position (in my opinion). We used an approximate factor of 40% per employee's salary for overhead budgeting.

 

[rricks26]

I'm sure this is just a negotiation point, not an all or nothing offer. No doubt the parties can decide that some of these things are worth it and search for a compromise that makes both parties feel like a winner (or looser).

Disney came to the union with this proposal after they rejected the .50 cent raise initially offered. It is now up to the union to accept or reject the offer. The union will make ammendments and, it will go back and forth like this till an agreement is made. I believe whether it is accepted is done by a vote by all the union cms. That’s why Disney is dangling the already announced 1000 bonus in their faces. Accept the offer, you get your bonus. Disney currently says if no agreement is made, the 1000 bonus, already given to non unionized cast btw, gets retracted indefinitely.

 

[Spencer Wright]

I fully understand companies are out to make money, and am willing to begrudge a hefty amount of corporate greed, but Disney is being pretty ridiculous here.

$15 an hour by 2021 is hardly an increase at all!! I just don't understand how Disney can justify offering this raise at the expense of most everything else.



Does anyone know the current chances of a strike by CM's, or is that still quite a ways off?

I was thinking about this in terms of my August trip (I know its kind of selfish but I'm sure I'm not the only one thinking it). And Disney so far appears to be basically asking for one.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I fully understand companies are out to make money, and am willing to begrudge a hefty amount of corporate greed, but Disney is being pretty ridiculous here.

$15 an hour by 2021 is hardly an increase at all!! I just don't understand how Disney can justify offering this raise at the expense of most everything else.



Does anyone know the current chances of a strike by CM's, or is that still quite a ways off?

I was thinking about this in terms of my August trip (I know its kind of selfish but I'm sure I'm not the only one thinking it). And Disney so far appears to be basically asking for one.

%-wise that is a rather large increase! Even the article states it would be about 50% increase over current starting salaries. Conservatively that is a double digit compound annual growth rate - I know most people in corporate America would love to see that (especially those of us that having seen a cost of living increase in years - while medical costs keep going up, and thus less take home)

So from an increase standpoint it is plenty ... the issue is just the starting point is so low - and is more of an "American" issue than a "Disney" issue - who already pays more than the mandatory minimum to full time employees

In total $, this would be more than $8,500 more per employee (if we do $4.50 more/hour, 40 hour week, 48 weeks a year - so conservatively) and if there are even 30,000 employees that applies to that is over $250m a year - so real dollars.

And I am not saying they aren't worth it or Disney shouldn't even be paying more - just saying this is real money they are offering (though I am sure they would get at least a good chunk of that back from some of the other elements they are negotiating over)

 

[Spencer Wright]

%-wise that is a rather large increase! Even the article states it would be about 50% increase over current starting salaries. Conservatively that is a double digit compound annual growth rate - I know most people in corporate America would love to see that (especially those of us that having seen a cost of living increase in years - while medical costs keep going up, and thus less take home)

So from an increase standpoint it is plenty ... the issue is just the starting point is so low - and is more of an "American" issue than a "Disney" issue - who already pays more than the mandatory minimum to full time employees

In total $, this would be more than $8,500 more per employee (if we do $4.50 more/hour, 40 hour week, 48 weeks a year - so conservatively) and if there are even 30,000 employees that applies to that is over $250m a year - so real dollars.

And I am not saying they aren't worth it or Disney shouldn't even be paying more - just saying this is real money they are offering (though I am sure they would get at least a good chunk of that back from some of the other elements they are negotiating over)

As someone who has worked in corporate America for 5 years, I of course basically totally agree with you, in terms of the huge increase in the % payable!!

Hopefully this is just the beginning of a negotiation, and a suitable resolution can be achieved in the balance between pay, benefits, and other 'perks'.

 

[wareagle57]

$15 an hour by 2021 is hardly an increase at all!! I just don't understand how Disney can justify offering this raise at the expense of most everything else.

What is the minimum wage Disney pays now? I thought $15 an hour to work at a theme park sounded pretty good. If you could be full time it is over 30k a year. OT is an issue I'm sure. And I've always thought CMs should be paid for their travel time between off stage to on stage. It's absolutely ridiculous how much unpaid time is wasted for MK CMs.

 

[Spencer Wright]

What is the minimum wage Disney pays now? I thought $15 an hour to work at a theme park sounded pretty good. If you could be full time it is over 30k a year. OT is an issue I'm sure. And I've always thought CMs should be paid for their travel time between off stage to on stage. It's absolutely ridiculous how much unpaid time is wasted for MK CMs.

I think $15 an hour is reasonable. My main concern is some (not on this particular board, on other venues), make it seem like a seismic leap when it is really quite reasonable by 2021.

At what point does on stage start? (I'm asking because I didn't think of this). Otherwise that adds up to a massive amount of time.

 

[rteetz]

What is the minimum wage Disney pays now? I thought $15 an hour to work at a theme park sounded pretty good. If you could be full time it is over 30k a year. OT is an issue I'm sure. And I've always thought CMs should be paid for their travel time between off stage to on stage. It's absolutely ridiculous how much unpaid time is wasted for MK CMs.

I think minimum Disney pays now is like $10-$11.

 

[OKW Lover]

Does anyone know the current chances of a strike by CM's, or is that still quite a ways off?

Its still a ways off. But I can't recall the last time there was a strike at WDW. Keep in mind that not all CM's in the parks are union members. I suspect WDW could operate just fine for a short while if the union goes on strike or gets locked out.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

What is the minimum wage Disney pays now? I thought $15 an hour to work at a theme park sounded pretty good. If you could be full time it is over 30k a year. OT is an issue I'm sure. And I've always thought CMs should be paid for their travel time between off stage to on stage. It's absolutely ridiculous how much unpaid time is wasted for MK CMs.

quick google search shows it is frozen at $10/minimum per hour (they proposed a small increase the last negations but that was turned down)

Not sure if that includes college program members as well (who also then have to pay money back to Disney for rent)

 

[wareagle57]

Its still a ways off. But I can't recall the last time there was a strike at WDW. Keep in mind that not all CM's in the parks are union members. I suspect WDW could operate just fine for a short while if the union goes on strike or gets locked out.

So would the $15/hr only apply to union members?

 

[Princess_Lisa]

What is the minimum wage Disney pays now? I thought $15 an hour to work at a theme park sounded pretty good. If you could be full time it is over 30k a year. OT is an issue I'm sure. And I've always thought CMs should be paid for their travel time between off stage to on stage. It's absolutely ridiculous how much unpaid time is wasted for MK CMs.

Its been $10 for a while. When I lived in Orlando, I was paying $605/month for a 1 BR apartment (2013) that is now $960-$1,100/month. I moved out of that place and looked at some nicer places (with working toilets and without roaches). The places I looked at have gone from under $1,000 (2014) to $1,500 to $2,000/month (2018), most of that in the last year since I left Orlando. They would need $15/Hour right now just to maintain parity with the increase in rental prices. I apparently moved just in time. At this rate, in 3 years...they'll probably need more than $15 just to make ends meet.

 

[OKW Lover]

So would the $15/hr only apply to union members?

Disney pays all people doing the same job the same wage (and benefits/working conditions for that matter) regardless of union membership.

 

[wareagle57]

Its been $10 for a while. When I lived in Orlando, I was paying $605/month for a 1 BR apartment (2013) that is now $960-$1,100/month. I moved out of that place and looked at some nicer places (with working toilets and without roaches). The places I looked at have gone from under $1,000 (2014) to $1,500 to $2,000/month (2018), most of that in the last year since I left Orlando. They would need $15/Hour right now just to maintain parity with the increase in rental prices. I apparently moved just in time. At this rate, in 3 years...they'll probably need more than $15 just to make ends meet.

I've been looking at apartments in Orlando and even within a 5-10 minute drive to Disney I have found several very nice looking gated communities for around $1,200 a month. It's not really any different than looking in Atlanta or any other big city.

 

[RobertUpland]

Here's my perspective as a quick service food and beverage PART TIME cast member at Animal Kingdom...

I make $10.15 an hour. I get a 40c per hour premium when I do general teller work and a $1 an hour premium when I train.

I am SCHEDULED at least 35 hours per week and many weeks its closer to 50. I pay $11 a week for health insurance, I don't get vacation time and schedule bids mean nothing for part timers because we always have the same days off.

If the Union and Disney can come to an agreement that doesn't change the "anything over 8 hours is overtime" and we continue to have Union representation, I will 100% vote yes.