Originally Posted By HRM So is it just the food & retail unions that are negotiating contracts? Retirement and Health Benefits are the big negotiating items in all Labor issues these days; lets face it, these expenses are skyrocketing as the working demographic is changing in our society. Unfortunately, changing the benefit structure of Disneyland employees will not change these underlying factors... I have several questions regarding this issue, but the key question revolves around the timing of the negotiation. Mid Feb? Off-peak time and low attendance - seems to me this works against Labor interest, and for Management interests... What are the key negotiating issues anyway? Are they affecting long-term CMs versus Short-term CMs? Full-time vs Part-Time?
Originally Posted By Theme Park One Foods, Security and Maintenance already have new contracts and lost several befefits. The new negotiations are for Custodial, Attractions and Stores. The proposed changes reported involve reduction of the 40 hr. week to 30, elimination of double time on all holidays (for those currently getting benefits), raising the benefitted level of 25 hrs. to 30+ per week, mandatory full availability of five days in off-season & seven in peak seasons, denial of current CM's to move up to 30 hrs. (new full time) in favor of new hires, combining DCA and DL contracts to cover both parks and ultimately elimination of all union contracts. Magical, ain't it?
Originally Posted By tangaroa >I noticed those job application/now >hiring cards at the registers today. I >think they're incredibly tacky and I wish >there was another way to get CM's. >Tacky, tacky, tacky. Working at Disneyland used to be such a cool gig that they never needed to advertise. They'd always have fresh young faces lining up at the casting office. With such a bad shortage of CMs, I wonder if those CMs in casting have lowered their standards, if just a little, and let a few bad apples in just to meet their quotas? I certainly hope not.
Originally Posted By imadisneygal I hope not, too, but I wonder if they've almost had to lower their standards to meet the exponentially higher hiring needs of an expanded Resort. Just a few short years ago there weren't SOOOO many roles to fill.
Originally Posted By fkurucz >>With such a bad shortage of CMs, I wonder if those CMs in casting have lowered their standards, if just a little, and let a few bad apples in just to meet their quotas?<< I think that its very evident that they have done just this. Of course, the demographics and the overall economy in Orange County have changed dramatically in the past 20 years, so its not suprising that they aren't getting the same bang for their (adjusted for inflation) buck.
Originally Posted By BugMeNot Hmm... Disney = $7.80 an hour (Starting in some areas of the park) In - n - Out = $9.50 an hour (Starting for some) Both are dead end jobs if you ask me.
Originally Posted By fkurucz ^^True. I suppose that the caliber of people that DL used to be able to hire can command much more $10 per hour these days.
Originally Posted By imadisneygal What if the amount of CM's Disneyland used to need to hire to staff the Resort was near the total amount of people in the workforce who actually take pride in their work and really wanted to be there? And now with the ridiculous hiring needs the percentage of people in the workforce who have that pride doesn't equal the hiring needs? You can't pay the trashy out of someone....
Originally Posted By fkurucz ^^True. But the fact that the cost of living in SoCal is horrendously high will mean that high caliber people (who would otherwise love to work at DL) will end up somewhere else. You can't pay the rent with Pixie dust.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA Disneyland used to be a 'cool' job to have back in the day. Why has that changed? Many aspects I'm sure. Not the least of which is that Orange County is a much bigger place than it was 25 years ago. Even 10 years ago. There are more options for young people to get jobs. And Disneyland has a bigger 'hassle factor' -- getting to work early, changing into a costume, and maybe for some young people, it's easier to just walk into the local 'ambercrombie & fitch' 5 minutes before your start time, and spend your shift selling T-shirts with sexual innuendos on them, and looking at customers with smug arrogant expressions. But I digress. Sure, Disneyland could pay $15 - $20 an hour for a Jungle Cruise skipper, but does that really get you a better Jungle Cruise Skipper? When I was a WDW Jungle Cruise Skipper back in 1986, I used to hear the guys kvetch about not getting enough money. So, they're really going to do a better job, with a dollar an hour increase? Maybe for a month. And if Disneyland is supposed to pay premium dollars for Cast Members, get ready to pay a lot more premium money for admission to the Parks. My perspetive? I worked at The Disney University at WDW in 1987-1990. I was a permanent 'Traditions' instructor for those years, and was there for the big hire before Disney-MGM Studios opened. Let me tell you, the caliber of Cast Members was probably similar to what's coming through the doors today at Disneyland. - Some really good, dedicated people who really, really want to work for Disney. - Many who had a relative or friend working there and knew of the company. - And a fair percentage of those hired just wanted a job, and knew that Disney had plenty of jobs available. Heck, I remember going to the Casting building at WDW in 1986 to get my first job. They were so backed up with candiates, they took us into our first interview two-by-two. 'If you are hired, where do you see yourself working?' the Casting rep asked me. I was so excited and eager about working there, I rattled off 2 or 3 different jobs I'd like to have and how much the Disney company meant to me as a guest -- blah, blah, blah -- on I went for 10 minutes. The young man sitting next to me, when asked the same question replied, 'I don't really care -- a job's a job.' Later, when I was in HR at Walt Disney Imagineering, I found the same levels of people working there too. I was stunned that so many people working at WDI thought of it as 'just a job.' My point here? I wonder how bad the casting really has gotten.
Originally Posted By wa6oqc I don't know if there was an actual strike but you might like to look at this photo. <a href="http://pages.sbcglobal.net/wa6gsc/images/loufred.jpg" target="_blank">http://pages.sbcglobal.net/wa6 gsc/images/loufred.jpg</a>
Originally Posted By Imagineer This Iger is the "BIG" Cheese now and he is in charge and I don't think he would ever let Disneyland go on strike. )
Originally Posted By StillThePassHolder "Hmm... Disney = $7.80 an hour (Starting in some areas of the park) In - n - Out = $9.50 an hour (Starting for some) Both are dead end jobs if you ask me." Ummm, no especially on the In N Out job. If I were a kid today I'd kill to work there. I've never worked there and don't have a financial interest (although I wish I did), but here are some random and not so random links: <a href="http://www.in-n-out.com/employment_restaurant.asp" target="_blank">http://www.in-n-out.com/employ ment_restaurant.asp</a> <a href="http://www.wildlandfire.com/docs/2005/fs-ff-pay-vs-burger.htm" target="_blank">http://www.wildlandfire.com/do cs/2005/fs-ff-pay-vs-burger.htm</a> <a href="http://www.sayleadershipcoaching.com/talkingstory/2005/06/innout_burger_a.html" target="_blank">http://www.sayleadershipcoachi ng.com/talkingstory/2005/06/innout_burger_a.html</a> <a href="http://www.jobjournal.com/article_full_text.asp?artid=291" target="_blank">http://www.jobjournal.com/arti cle_full_text.asp?artid=291</a>
Originally Posted By studiovx Okay... I am more thinking about the decisions that are affecting a guest's park experience than how CM are feeling about the state of their jobs and how management is treating them." Can I speak directly about this? I was at the park over Thanksgiving weekend and I heard near the restrooms near the bank on Main Street, "Maybe it'll be cold enough so alot of people will go home". I just have to say that nobody holds a gun to anybody's head to work, and that if you take a job, be professional enough to perform it as you had promised to do by accepting the position. This one line ruined the magic for me & my family that day.
Originally Posted By TMICHAEL >>>This one line ruined the magic for me & my family that day.<<< OH PUHLEESE!!! How so? If someone wishes for a slow day, let them. How is it affecting your day, by showing that it IS a job run by under payed and under staffed humans?
Originally Posted By studiovx Bull. You are accepting the conditions of employment upon hire. If not, work somewhere else. This guy was dressed in an Adventureland outfit. In front of my kids he said this. "Puhleese" all you want. Internal squabbles need to stay back of house when on stage. It's bad show and it's that simple. It did ruin our day, especially the F-bombs he also dropped. Whether you believe it or not, it is so.
Originally Posted By studiovx And PS: If somebody wishes for a slow day on my dime, after I've driven all the way out from AZ. (on Thanksgiving) for their brand of entertainment, it's REALLY, REALLY bad show.
Originally Posted By studiovx And also the Disney's California Adventure gate attendant text messaging somebody while taking our tickets. I'm not a purist by any means, but come on. Castmembers were so taken aback by my wishes of "Happy Thanksgiving" (read: couldn't believe soembody was acknowledging their hard work)that I knew something must be up, but all the same, it shouldn't get on stage. There were more things, as well. But on the whole, many cast members did a fantstic job. This includes a gentleman named "Mark" (at Turtle Talk w/ Crush) as well as Crush, who never uttered a diparaging word!
Originally Posted By fkurucz >>If somebody wishes for a slow day on my dime, after I've driven all the way out from AZ. (on Thanksgiving) for their brand of entertainment, it's REALLY, REALLY bad show.<< As a park guest I always wish for slow days.
