Disney World & Cast Members Reach Pay Agreement!
Wage negotiations between Walt Disney World management and unions representing ~45,000 Cast Members are over, as the two sides have finally reached an agreement! This shares the latest news on the compromise, how pay will increase in the next several years, and offer commentary about this great development. (Updated March 23, 2023.)
The Service Trades Council Union (STCU) representing Cast Members announced on March 23, 2023 that they have reached a tentative agreement with Walt Disney World to bring hourly Cast Member pay to $18 per hour by December 2023 and over $20 by Fall 2026, plus back pay.
There were several sticking points for the union in negotiations, which was asking for $18 per hour and a path to $20, as well as back pay. While both sides have compromised from their initial positions, the union has essentially secured the trifecta for Cast Members. The union is thus recommending that its members ratify the new contract, with a vote that will take place on March 29, 2023 (and is expected to succeed).
Upon ratification of the proposed agreement, Cast Members will be paid a minimum wage of $17 per hour, with that amount increasing to $18 by December. Back pay of an $1 extra per hour worked since October 1, 2022 will also be awarded to Cast Members hired on or before that date. Looking forward to 2024 and beyond, pay will increase a total of $2.50 for the remaining duration of the contract; that will bring the new minimum to no less than $20.50 by October 2026.
According to the STCU: “For Cast Members that are making the minimum currently, this contract provides over 36% general wage increases over the life of the agreement.” All Cast Members will also receive raises between $5.50 and $8.60 over the term of this new agreement, with the first $3 in raises occurring this year.
Union leaders said that the following roles would receive wage increases of higher amounts:
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Union Housekeepers: increase from $17 to $20 immediately, ending at $24 in October 2026
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Union Dishwashers: increase from $15 to $18 immediately, ending at $22 in October 2026
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Cook 2 (Union Prep Cook): increase from $16.40 to $20 immediately, ending at $24 in October 2026
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Cook 1 (Union Line Cook): increase from $19 to $23.10 immediately, ending at $27.10 in October 2026
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Union Chef Assistant: increase from $20 to $24.60 immediately, ending at $28.60 in October 2026
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Union Bus Drivers: increase from $18 to $20.50 immediately, ending at $24.50 in October 2026
The agreement will also include eight weeks of paid Child Bonding Leave, which is a benefit that does not exist in the current contract, and increases to many hourly premiums, according to STCU.
In confirming that an agreement had been reached between the company and STCU, Walt Disney World Resort President Jeff Vahle said that “Our Cast Members are central to Walt Disney World’s enduring magic, which is why we are pleased to have reached this tentative agreement.”
“Disney is proud to offer an industry-leading employment package that includes comprehensive benefits and affordable medical coverage, in addition to 100 percent paid tuition for higher education for hourly employees through the Disney Aspire program,” Vahle continued. “With the support of the unions, we anticipate Cast Members will approve this new agreement.”
Upon ratification, the agreement will put Walt Disney World on par with Universal Orlando in offering $17 per hour. By the end of this year when wages increase to $18 per hour, Walt Disney World will become the highest-paying large-scale tourism employer in Orlando for entry level positions.
In terms of quick commentary, this is fantastic news–and comes as somewhat of a surprise. The two sides had been at a stalemate previously, with union Cast Members holding their “Rally for a Raise” one week ago to increase public awareness of their plight. That seemingly succeeded, as an agreement was reached in short order after that and comes pretty close to giving Cast Members what they had originally sought.
As for winners and losers…there are none of the latter here, only the former. Cast Members win because they will soon be earning higher wages. Walt Disney World wins immediately by putting this ugly dispute in the rearview mirror and garnering positive headlines for once. Longer-term, the company wins by becoming a better employer that should have greater success in the highly-competitive local labor market; by paying higher wages, Disney will be able to attract and retain talented and passionate employees.
Guests win for those same reasons. The Cast Members who truly make the magic will see a morale boost and will be more likely to stick with Walt Disney World for the long-term, with the positive consequences of that directly flowing to the guest experience. Anyone who wants to contend otherwise and claim that this will be bad for guests due to price increases or whatever is, flatly, wrong.
What follows is how this saga has played out to date, plus our original commentary, preserved here for posterity…
This sharp turn of events comes after the prior proposal was overwhelmingly rejected by Cast Members; 96% of union members voted against Walt Disney World’s “best and final offer.” That would have amounted to an immediate $1 raise to the hourly starting wage, which would put the minimum starting wage at $16 per hour. From there, hourly pay would’ve gradually increased to $20 per hour over the next 5 years.
Cast Members represented by local unions have been pushing for an immediate increase to $18 per hour, with a future path to raise wages to $20 per hour. With Walt Disney World’s refusal to budge from its prior best offer–and unwilling to offer a middle ground compromise–negotiations ended and did not resume late last week as planned. Instead, the unions indicated that they will begin a public pressure campaign “to bring light to the plight of Cast Members struggling to survive the devastating increase in the cost of living.”
Notably and perplexingly, Walt Disney World’s refusal to offer “even one cent” to its prior best and final offer came only days after Universal Orlando Resort announced to Team Members that they are raising starting wages to $17 per hour effective June 4, 2023.
In addition, Universal Orlando announced that many Team Members will receive a pay increase based on the new rates and their time with the company. According to Universal, wages are just one improvement being made to improve Team Member satisfaction. That theme park operator has also elevated its 401K match and tuition reimbursement programs, added compassion leave, doubled parental leave, enhanced family planning benefits, launched a new recognition program, and changed Team Member comp ticket availability.
Universal also purports to be elevating the work environment, and to that end, has begun upgrading break areas, back of house restrooms, and have plans for Team Member dining improvements. Universal contends that its work culture seeks to create a path forward that supports Team Members, giving them an opportunity to grow while fostering a real sense of purpose and belonging.
Senator Bernie Sanders added his voice to the pay dispute between Walt Disney World and Cast Members, sharing a statement of support on social media. “If Disney can afford to give a $20 million golden parachute last year to a CEO who did a lousy job, it can afford to pay Disney World Cast Members who are struggling to pay the rent & groceries a minimum wage of at least $18/hour. I say to Disney: Pay your workers a living wage,” wrote Sanders.
This isn’t the first time that Sanders weighed in on Cast Member pay. During the last major standoff back in 2018, Sanders made national headlines for attending a Cast Member town hall in Anaheim. Following that meeting with Disney workers, Sanders and Senator Elizabeth Warren sent a letter cosigned by 20 of their colleagues to Disney CEO Bob Iger urging the company to agree to a fair contract.
It goes without saying that Sanders is a polarizing politician. We’re not reporting on his social media post because of his substantive point, but rather, because of his public profile and popularity. Whether you love or hate him is irrelevant–what’s undeniable is that he has a large audience. As a result, it’s likely that Sanders will bring attention to this standoff, and elevate the coverage beyond Disney fan sites and the local Orlando media.
After a year of negative headlines and unforced errors, it’s mind boggling to me that Walt Disney World would risk more unfavorable reporting hitting the mainstream media. At an absolute minimum, Universal’s announcement of the $17 wage should’ve resulted in Disney offering that exact same amount.
The new baseline is $17 per hour, and it is highly unlikely that these negotiations will now end in an amount lower than that. So why not at least propose that, instead of refusing to add a ‘single cent’ to the prior offer? The company cannot control how the union reacts to such an offer, but there’s little compelling reason to refuse to budge from the prior offer. Perhaps the parties could even reach an agreement at $17 and prevent future ugliness.
Universal is too large of an employer–and direct competitor–in the exact same labor market, and they’ve set the new standard. It is an inevitability that Walt Disney World is going to follow suit, and could potentially save themselves pain in the process. The last thing they need is even more unfavorable media attention.
Against this backdrop, there’s a lot to discuss when it comes to commentary about the stalemate between Disney and the unions. One thing I hope we don’t have to debate is wages in relation to guest pricing. Back in past union wage negotiation posts, this was always the core commentary, as some Walt Disney World fans opposed wage increases under the (mistaken) assumption that higher wages equaled higher ticket and hotel prices.
The last few years should have disabused anyone of that notion, and demonstrated that Disney raises prices based on what the market will bear–and even when cutting its own costs. It has very little to do with input costs. (Or is someone going to claim that Disney went from free FastPass to paid Lightning Lanes because the exact same thing somehow costs the company more to operate?) Disney has been able to increase margins thanks to demand and consumer tolerance for higher prices; those same margins can go the other direction, too.
Treatment of Cast Members, staffing shortages, and tangentially-related topics have been a topic of discussion for a while, and also one that has recently popped up in the comments section here a few times. Suffice to say, I have a lot of thoughts about the current union negotiations with Walt Disney World.
The first is one of surprise that Walt Disney World has not proactively and voluntarily raised wages prior to this. I’m downright dumbfounded that the present standoff has been allowed to drag on. When it started, I assumed this would be quickly resolved given everything the company has said, and realities of the labor market. At the very latest, I figured Universal’s pay increase would put an end to it. I’m shocked and disappointed that the situation has gotten this bad.
As to why Disney should be offering higher wages to Cast Members, let’s go back to the beginning. If you’ve read even a few posts here over the last two years, you’ve likely heard us blame the absence of X or Y on staffing shortages. This does not just negatively impact the guest experience, but also, Disney’s bottom line.
While improving tremendously, staffing shortages remain a key impediment to fully normal operations at Walt Disney World. The company has had tremendous difficulty filling certain key roles, and turnover is incredibly high–even as Disney hires aggressively, it has been losing employees almost as quickly as it can onboard them.
As a result of this, Disney has left money on the table–because it has literally been unable to fill tables at restaurants, offer a full slate of upcharge offerings, etc. Staffing shortages have resulted in capacity constraints as a mitigation measure, which means fewer people at the parks due to attendance-limiting park reservations being fully booked at certain times.
That might be too much of an abstraction–concrete examples are how long it took to bring back Minnie Vans, Victoria & Albert’s, non-seasonal After Hours events, or EPCOT Food & Wine Festival paid seminars. All of those directly generate revenue and took longer than expected to return. (Or still aren’t fully back.)
Walt Disney World could have remedied many of the staffing shortages by voluntarily raising wages a year or two ago. Actually, they could have addressed this five years ago when it first started becoming an issue. While exacerbated by the pandemic, we were discussing staffing shortages back in May 2018 when writing about that year’s standoff between Disney and the unions, predicting that the “writing is on the wall for higher wages. At some point, increasing wages will be a strict necessity to attract more workers in the next few years.”
Instead, they offered hiring bonuses. My assumption was (and is) that there were a variety of underlying motivations for this. First, a hiring bonus is a one-time payment, whereas higher wages are a long-lasting and recurring expense. Second, it’s not as straightforward as simply raising wages for specific positions; with unions involved, contracts need to be negotiated and it’s unlikely those groups would have agreed to targeted increases for certain roles, but not others.
Finally, it’s possible that the company was ‘waiting out’ the hot labor market, assuming service industry employees would lose leverage and wage growth would slow or reverse. That has not happened. Even as layoffs are starting to hit white collar workers, there are still nearly 2 open jobs for every unemployed worker.
That discrepancy is even more skewed in some markets and sectors, with Central Florida hospitality and leisure likely being one of them. That’s precisely why Universal Orlando is raising wages. It’s not simply a matter of corporate generosity–it’s being competitive in the scorching labor market.
Just looking at this objectively, it’s difficult to understand Walt Disney World’s strategy, if they have one at all. Up until now, it sure seems like they’ve been waiting the last two years for a looming downturn, and have missed out on potential revenue as a result. That might seem like a dubious assertion given Disney’s earnings calls touting impressive profits for the parks, but there’s nothing to say they couldn’t have been even better.
Business has been booming as a result of pent-up demand and per guest spending is up thanks to reduced discounting, Lightning Lanes, etc. Nevertheless, bringing back Minnie Vans, After Hours, and other paid events would have generated further profits. In short, Disney missed out on even better earnings performance by being miserly.
So what’s the strategy now? Bet on a recession or assume economic downturn is on the horizon? Figure that’ll cool down both the red-hot labor market and demand for travel? Hope that the College Program and International Programs can be further scaled up to provide cheaper and less competitive labor?
Maybe some or all of that will work out in Disney’s “favor,” but it’s a bold strategy and one that has not been vindicated over the course of the last couple years. It’s also one that ignores all of the expansion in Central Florida–new hotels, area attractions, Epic Universe, etc–to assume that the labor market is going to get weaker, somehow. Even if there’s an economic downturn late this year or early next, it’s hard to imagine that “solves” the labor shortage given growth in the region.
Beyond that, it’s difficult to see why Disney is dragging its feet and letting this become a public spectacle. The Walt Disney Company has made the importance of Cast Members central to its image. High-level leaders at Walt Disney World and the corporate level make gratitude for Cast Members part of their persona. When it comes to the importance of their employees, they really talk a good game.
Naturally, this is true of Bob Iger and Josh D’Amaro, who are smooth operators and savvy public speakers. But it was the case even with Bob Chapek! The man who notoriously and infamously didn’t “get” Disney even understand how important it was to publicly praise Cast Members.
During one of his last public interviews when asked about the Reedy Creek controversy, Chapek pivoted and offered this: “the lesson, and what we always should’ve known, is that Disney is all about the Cast.” He noted that people might remember the castle and churros, but the reason people have magical memories that last a lifetime is the guest-cast interactions. He called Cast Members the “secret sauce” and the key to a great guest experience at Walt Disney World.
Chapek also said that “around 99%” of the positive guest feedback he received when running Parks & Resorts was about Cast Members. He was “reminded” about the sentiment of Cast Members and the importance of them feeling valued and as if they could relate to the company. “You have to make sure the Cast is at the center of everything you do,” Chapek concluded. For once, Chapek got something right with that sentiment. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while!
It’s not just quotes from executives. Walt Disney World dedicates much of its online presence to promoting its public image as an employer. Positive treatment of and opportunities for Cast Members are highlighted, as is how important they are to the parks and guest experience. Among many other things, the Walt Disney World Ambassadors have their own dedicated social media accounts and there’s a whole Cast Life subtopic on the Disney Parks Blog.
Posts like this border on propaganda, using words like “lucky,” “incredible,” “gift,” and “doesn’t even feel like work” to describe being a Cast Member. Disney is a savvy company and purposefully covers Cast Members in this manner–it’s good for recruitment and also for the all-too-common guest misperception that being a Cast Member is a dream job.
To its credit, I guess, Disney is great at manicuring its image. Heck, they even managed to turn a decision made due to realities about the labor market into a statement about inclusivity. Much of the content produced now revolves around employees–and that also includes television ads in the Orlando and Anaheim/Los Angeles local markets.
The problem isn’t necessarily this sentiment–it’s very much correct. Highlighting Cast Members and their importance to the guest experience is absolutely the right thing to do. The problem is that all of this rings hollow when paired with how Disney actually treats Cast Members, as underscored by this standoff. Words are meaningless if you don’t walk the talk.
Cast Members breathe life into Walt Disney World, and they have long been the defining element of the guest experience. I think someone once said: “You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.”
We have been fortunate to have wonderful Cast Member interactions and encounters over the years, and I absolutely want more passionate Cast Members who are proud of the work they do, the company they do it for, and strive to make magical moments for guests. We all win if Cast Members are treated well and feel valued.
Then there’s the human (or humane) side of it. The living situation of many Cast Members is well-documented at this point. There have been countless exposes on homelessness and motel life along Florida’s Highway 192 corridor. This impoverished working class has been an open secret in Orlando for years and was even depicted in The Florida Project, an excellent and heart-wrenching film that is only nominally fictional. (That’s the one of the best and most heartbreaking movies imaginable, and should be required watching for all Disney fans.)
There’s a reason that affordable housing is coming to Walt Disney World and the company is committed to helping make it happen. It’s actively impacting Cast Members, and Disney’s ability to find workers. Shelter inflation is skyrocketing, with rising rents outpacing even the housing market. Florida has become the least-affordable state when cost of living is measured against typical household incomes. Orlando ranks second-worst in the country when it comes to the affordable housing shortage.
Personally, I think that Cast Member compensation should be competitive and, if anything, above market. Walt Disney World should be trying to attract the top talent in Central Florida. Increasing wages means Walt Disney World can attract and retain friendly and helpful Cast Members who will in turn improve the quality of the guest experience–in other words, making your vacation magical.
Over the last 3 years, we’ve heard an increasing number of reader complaints about Cast Members not being as friendly or as “magical” as they used to be. Three components of this are Disney demonstrating it didn’t really care about Cast Members during the closure and in the early stages of the phased reopening, pandemic-era rule enforcement taking a tremendous toll, and a rise in entitlement among guests that the company created. (Few things are more destructive to service than the mantra: “the customer is always right.” It’s demonstrably false and empowers the worst types of people to exploit things. It’s a complete garbage saying.)
So many people we know who worked at Walt Disney World in 2019 are gone, including “lifers” who I never would’ve expected to leave. Some were furloughed and called back, but opted against returning because of the way they were treated and taken for granted. Others got burned out from being “babysitters” for the year after reopening. Some simply found other jobs elsewhere that offered better pay or were otherwise less stressful. Every single one of them misses “making magic” but is happy with their decision to leave.
In talking to them, there’s a running theme in how Walt Disney World has handled Cast Members: arrogance. Arrogance in assuming furloughed Cast Members would be happy and thankful to return after months of radio silence. Arrogance in assuming “magic” is the ultimate trump card that makes Walt Disney World an unparalleled workplace. Arrogance in just fundamentally failing to appreciate the current realities of the labor market, and that it’s not 2016 anymore.
Let’s set those (very big!) variables aside and simply try to look at this from an objective, dispassioned perspective and again bring this back to competitiveness. The on-the-ground reality is that the Central Florida labor market has gotten tighter and Walt Disney World has not made much of an effort to compete in it. Yeah, there are Cast Members who are passionate about their jobs and proud to carry on Walt’s legacy. Some Cast Members are willing to accept less than they’re worth to work for Disney.
But for most, money talks. Employment is entirely transactional, and while companies can skew BS about being a family, legacy, and so forth, nothing shows you’re valued in that “relationship” like commensurate compensation. The converse is also true: nothing says that you’re not valued like being paid below market wages.
Universal will soon be paying its frontline employees $17 per hour, whereas Disney won’t offer a cent more than $16. We’ve dedicated a lot of words arguing why Walt Disney World should pay higher wages, but that’s really the bottom line.
Ultimately, that’s where we stand on this breakdown between Walt Disney World and the unions, and the company’s reluctance to pay higher wages to Cast Members. It’s disappointing that Walt Disney World didn’t proactively and voluntarily raise wages a year or two ago, and it’s downright heartbreaking that they’re continuing to fight over Cast Member pay.
This barely touched upon the soaring cost of living and shelter in and around Orlando, when in fact, our entire commentary could have centered around that. Instead, we only touched upon it in part because that’s its own huge can of worms; it’s also a (sadly) controversial and ideologically contentious issue, and one involving externalities that Disney cannot single-handedly address. Unfortunately, there is no outcome here that resolves Orlando’s cost of living or housing crisis.
However, it’s also because it’s not even necessary to address any of that. Walt Disney World should pay higher wages to be competitive with Universal Orlando. Attracting and retaining passionate and talented Cast Members should be a top priority, as should treating them in a way that makes them feel valued and wanting to make magical memories that will last a lifetime.
As a guest, you should selfishly want all of that. Your vacation is better if Cast Members are treated better by Walt Disney World–there’s a straight line between how they are treated and how guests are treated. In our opinion, paying Cast Members higher wages is also the right thing to do for myriad reasons, and means the company actually walking their talk. Words mean very little; it’s actions that matter to me.
Personally, I feel a little better about paying astronomical prices when I know that a company is doing the right thing and treating its employees well. Central Florida’s increasing cost of living and housing alone should’ve prompted Disney to offer higher wages to its frontline workers. But we don’t even have to get to those major and more contentious points to have a winning argument for paying and treating Cast Members better. If you are a Cast Member reading this, thank you for all you’ve done and good luck in your fight–a fight that shouldn’t even need to be fought–for higher wages. We hope you know that the vast majority of fans actually appreciate you in precisely the way that your company claims to care.
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Your Thoughts
Any thoughts to add about Cast Member wages at Walt Disney World? Disappointed that Universal is now “beating” Walt Disney World when it comes to employee treatment and wages? How do you feel about Disney’s handling of Cast Members, and what the company says versus what it does? Would you feel better about paying Disney’s premium prices if it meant the company was treating its employees better? Agree or disagree with any of our commentary? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Thank you for this information. I’m extremely disappointed in Disney’s greed and lack of commitment to their Cast Members. I’ve been an AP for years, however if they don’t step up and start paying their Cast Members a living wage, I won’t renew again. I’ll be watching this very closely. Please continue to keep us updated.
One of your best posts. Absolutely this company in particular needs to be a leader on this front. So disappointing that this is the path they’re choosing (especially as they’ve been significantly increasing costs to guests), but I’m encouraged to see so many comments in full support of a living wage.
The definition of a “Living Wage” is fluid, just like the Left’s favorite: “Fair Share” mantra. While I agree that Disney should pay its staff more, what is that number? IMO it can’t be defined. A “Living Wage” for a single person isn’t a “Living Wage” for a family of 4 with one wage earner. And let’s not forget geography. Where is the “Living Wage” to be located? More fluidity. The question “Why Doesn’t Disney World Pay Its Cast Members More” isn’t rhetorical even though the answer is obvious. Disney will pay the minimum it can in its particular market to maximize its profit. Period. Esoteria aside, Disney is in the business of selling a product to make money. We’d all like to think that its “raison d’etre” has changed since the days of Walt and Roy, and maybe it has, but that’s it, pure and simple: Profit. Now if in making said profit Disney staff can provide an outward illusion of the fantasy world some of us remember more’s the better, but we aren’t supposed to ask questions about what goes into the making of that illusion, including less than stellar wages, we’re just supposed to partake of it. Remember, if you choose to look behind the curtain, like Dorothy, you’ll find the Wizzard is nothing but a carney barker from Cleveland. The choice to look is ours. It always has been.
You are absolutely correct in your analogy but the world has changed. People are more concerned about what goes on behind that curtain. People want to know that slave labor manufactures their clothing and stop it. People want to know that companies are poisoning their water. What people are saying about liberals or progressives is true. They want to know about what is behind the curtain and do the right thing. It is today’s conservatives that want to keep that curtain closed and it is okay to poison that water and pollute that air if it brings profits. We have to decide for ourselves what is important to us.
Good Morning Ronald,
I’d like to correct one thing you said in your reply which says the we Conservatives are OK with “poisoning the water and polluting the air.” My business is Field Engineering. I travel to various locations in the country and in the world to, among other things, start up and troubleshoot water and wastewater systems. Much of my work is in pollution remediation. For example, the last job I was on was six weeks at a site to start and qualify a system to treat a toxic, caustic waste being discharged into the Allegheny River from.a plant long dismantled. It was successful and is ongoing. The job prior was in Alabama where I installed, started and qualified a system for groundwater purification from an old fertilizer plant, circa 1890, on 23 acres that someone saw fit to bury rather than dismantle. This resulted in acids leaching into the soil and polluting the groundwater. We contained it and are purifying the lechate but it is also a long term project. I have also cleaned up pollution from leaking underground fuel tanks and my next job is in North Carolina where I will comission and qualify a system to remove nitrates from municipal sewage before discharge. I have many research and pilot studies under my belt where I have actually developed processes to clean up pollutants of all types. I’m very proud if my work, just as I am proud of being what you define as a “Conservative”. I’d venture to say that I’m doing my part to maintain our planet and natural resources while, at the same time, enjoying my work and making a pretty nice living while so doing. My wife and I also rescue and rehome abandoned cats. I have degrees in Mechanical and Chemical Engineering as well as a BS in secondary education, chemistry and physics majors with a double major in English. I paid my tuition for these degrees by working as many as three jobs at the same time while going to school. I did take student loans, all of which I paid off. I live in the country where I can see deer, bear, raccoons, you name it, on a regular basis in my own backyard. Many years ago during a record blizzard, my wife and I fed a herd of 26 deer to keep them from starvation. Do enjoy your day sir.
Jack- I applaud your work and efforts. The word “conservative” is used by one party in this country which was the last administration. They removed waste water controls and removed improving fuel requirements on automobile manufacturers. They called themselves conservatives.
Interestingly enough, much of the remediation work I’m doing was put in place under the last administration. The equipment I work with takes years to build and millions to construct. It is all PLC controlled, most is remotely accessible and it takes knowledge and education to operate. Funny, but I often wonder why people employed at places such as Disney complain about wages, especially those “On Stage” if you will. The field needs carpenters, plumbers, pipe fitters, electricians, I&C techs. heavy equipment operators, all of the skilled trades. Not only are these union jobs but a journeyman can easily make six figures. There are men and women of all ethnicities and types in the field, and we all work together well. I don’t mean to sound patronizing but people want how much to walk-around Disney in costume and entertain? Or flip burgers? its not like they work at Victoria and Alberts. These are not unintelligent people if entertainment is indeed their chosen field they had to know what the wages were before they committed to Disney. I’d be interested to know what their career goals are. I played football during my first college stint. Love the game. Was a cornerback. Pretty good at it too. Even went to a minor bowl game, but I also knew that my chances of making a pro career of it were zero. If these cast members think they’re going to be the next Cinema Sensation they need to reevaluate. As I’ve said in other posts, you want more money? Find another job. Continue your education. But above all, whatever you do, you’ll have to work. Making really good money, even a “living wage” ( Whatever that is.) is not a human right, it’s earned.
My apologies but I must disagree with your use of the term “conservatives”: what you characterize as “conservative” ideas/actions is wrong. Doing the right thing with the wrong actions or doing the wrong things for the right reasons alike are wrong. Attempting to silence dissent with name calling or silencing dissent is not a “conservative” thing. “Conservatives” want an open, honest, healthy discussion on these matters. Proper respect for the world, environment and business is what conservatives are about, not belittling one group or idea but allowing proper debate to make proper actions in perspective to the whole picture. Business is not liberal or conservative – people are and they are “guiding” the business. Both sides in this discussion deserve space without belittling or silence shaming the other.
Disney can do better and so can the union.
Dave G-I don’t want to be political but the term conservatives has been used by one political party in our country and they are not acting like conservatives in their actions, yet they say they are the “conservative” party. They are the ones who trashed pollution laws preventing waste dumping, removed gas efficiency requirements etc. while opposing the minimum wage. This action against the minimum wage keeps salaries on the lower end lower. This was all accomplished in the last administration. Unfortunately supply and demand does not always provide respectable wages.
Disney will eventually pay wages competitive with Universal otherwise their magical glow will disappear..
Which is classic “Supply and demand.”
Dear Jack,
Yes a living wage is fluid but that’s not a problem. In fact that’s the beauty of a living wage as opposed to a minimum wage for an entire nation. One size does NOT fit all.
A living wage will be different from state to state and sometimes different within a state for example upstate NY and NYC. That’s not a problem. It’s really not difficult to figure out what that will be in various parts of the country/world. People have no trouble figuring out bottom lines and maximum profits. You can already figure out the cost of living for any city by googling “cost of living calculator”. I’m not opposed to people making as much as they possibly can. However no person should pad their prosperity upon the misery of others. You can make a fortune while also making sure that everyone who helps you succeed does well too. The wealthiest person is the one who elevates everyone that crosses their path. That is not a “left” or right thing. I would suggest Matthew 16:26. I can’t tell you what lies beyond this life but I guarantee you that how many toys you had at the end or the size of your bank account will not be on the exam.
“If you are a Cast Member reading this, thank you for all you’ve done and good luck in your fight–a fight that shouldn’t even need to be fought–for higher wages. We hope you know that the vast majority of fans actually appreciate you in precisely the way that your company claims to care.”
This, this, this!
Sadly, Disney has gone the way of many corporate organizations. The magic and customer has solely become generating shareholder value and the customer is now Wall Street. Long term planning that enhances and grows meaningful objectives has become managing to the next quarterly earnings call. I’ve been a lifelong Disney fan and now run my own organization. Developing and investing in your people drives towards your future and it’s simply the right thing to do. I have ran the numbers on the cost of turnover and it is compelling. Paying a living wage improves retention, creates a culture that people want to be a part of, and solves a lot of other issues that go straight to the bottom line. It’s the right thing to do AND it’s sound business. Unfortunately, Disney has lost its conscious and is now wandering without a moral compass. What a sad time for Walt (and those who remain dedicated to working for this organization).
Come on Disney leadership. Step up and do the right thing for YOUR cast members. If you did, they might not even need a union to give more of their hard earned money away to.
Dear Rob Stumpf. You ask, “Why should Disney pay people more,”
The key word here is people. Because they are your fellow human beings.
No business should exist if the only way it can be profitable is by making a cheap unsafe product or on the suffering of human beings. People’s well being should always come before profit. If your business plan relies on the desperation of others willing to work for less you need a new plan. Profit sharing is always a good way forward. Someone may have a great idea or the capital to start a business but unless it’s a one man operation workers will be needed or there is no going forward. They are every bit as important to the success as the idea and the capital but above all else they are your living, breathing brothers and sisters from the same creator that breathed life into you and gave you whatever talents you have. It is up to all of us to see that anyone who contributes their gifts to making this world better, no matter how big or small, can at the very minimum put food on the table, a roof over their head and know peace/happiness.
Thank you for saying this. You did it much better than I could have.
Just a thought/question: If Disney and their cast members have a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), they are bound to the contract during the time of the contract period. If you think Disney should have raised the wages then, they should have reopened negotiations on the CBA back then. If the unions knew they needed a raise back then, why did they not bring it to Disney at that time? You can blame Mr. Chapek back then but the union could have brought it up then too. Did either side bring it up back then? In a CBA are not both sides bound by the constraints in it?
I am for fair and equitable wages for fair and equitable work. This is not one-sided, the union should have brought this up sooner before something awful happens and Disney needed better foresight (something I don’t believe Mr. Chapek had/has) to bring up earlier before bad PR happens/(ed).
Excellent point. Here is a view from a NPCm ( non dues paying cast member )
This is Simple supply vs demand. Currently Disney has enough Cast Members who will work for the current wage.
And the “all or nothing” demands from the STCU are easy for Disney to ignore.
Disney can easy Market the message that they want to pay the valued Cast Members more & are waiting for the Union to do a better job of explaining the “best and final offer” to their dues paying members. Only a third of the unionized member voted “no” – meaning two thirds are perfectly content with the current situation.
Also, Disney can claim they are respecting the diversity of their employees & taking the time needed to have ALL voices heard. If inclusion means waiting for every Cast Member to read up on personal finance & the economic principles of capitalism, all the better.
Due to staffing shortages, Overtime is easy to pick up – which allows those who want to work earn enough to stay ahead of inflation & empty union promises.
So if you are sleeping in your car because you LOVE your role with Disney, then that is your choice.
If you can’t afford to work at Disney, then go work for Universal – or learn how to Cook or Bake, make a bed, drive a bus or any of the dozens of open roles that pay more than the “standing in a parking lot – directing traffic” role.
This is shameful from Disney. No wonder the “magic” is gone! If I had to choose between new attractions and expansions, and just having those wonderful and magical cast member interactions happen three times as often… I’d pick the latter. It’s those moments we remember most, not the shiny new object. This is not only wrong, but incredibly misguided. As you said, cast members ought to be the best paid in the entire industry. Disney will never reach the heights of the past without this kind of investment.
On a personal level, until this dispute is resolved to the satisfaction of a majority of union members, I will not be giving Disney any of my money. If Disney were to do something like fire striking workers (a la Elon Musk recently), I would never visit Disney again. They should tread very carefully.
Thank you Tom for this post.
it’s disgraceful that cast members can’t get a decent wage.
am I disappointed that universal pays better than Disney,no I’m sad that people have to essentially beg for a decent living wage ,lord knows we all pay enough to enjoy these parks and if it went up would I care? no coz a few extra dollars on top of the thousands we pay will not kill us,it’s not our born given right to visit anywhere at cheap prices but for god’s sake pay a dam decent wage .
A good read Tom thank you
Excellent and truly, deeply appreciated article
Arrogance is right. Corporate greed from the highest paid executives at Disney is right up there. I hope the vast majority of employees (quit calling them cast members–just reiterates the “I’m not in it for the money” mindset) jump ship for Universal or other employers. I laugh when I hear companies say such nonsense as “oh, they love the magic.” This is how these cast members are making their living–this is how they buy food, house and clothe themselves and their families. This is how they pay their bills. As you said, Tom, it’s transactional.
Any company that has raised prices as often and as much as Disney and that pays their top executives these huge salaries but has employees who are homeless or living in horrible conditions because they can’t afford anything else should be hanging their heads in shame.
Universal will need to staff up a whole new park soon. I’m sure they would love to have people with theme park operations experience.
Fast food restaurants in the Midwest are paying 16 year olds more than Disney is willing to pay their cast members! That is shameful!
Good thing TMs haven’t unionized.
I could probably name more than two dozen cast members I know of who did not return to work post-pandemic. They saw the writing on the wall and sought different employment. Some retired early and some returned to their home states. I can’t say I blame them.
The good news is, when former cast members apply for jobs in a non-Disney world, they seem to be given a higher priority, I think due to Disney’s reputation in training cast members.
For the first time ever, my group has booked at Universal Orlando for our annual trip. It will take some getting used to, but I’m sure we’ll quickly adjust. I am the planner for the trips and what I have learned so far is we will be saving a bundle of money at Universal compared to a stay at Disney.
Why doesn’t Disney pay their “case members” $10,000 an hour? Then they could all afford mansions and yachts. Disney is a big company, that means they are an unlimited well of money that Unions like the SEIU can milk for every last dime.
And remember, when you work for Disney, Disney becomes your mommy. If the cost of living in your area goes up, don’t worry, Disney will be responsible to make sure you can pay your bills!!!
I think that you think you’re very funny.
Without the Cast members, there is no Disney. As Tom said, the company should have been smarter five years ago. They weren’t, and they will pay for that now one way or another.
I met a retired attorney who told me he had “made more money than he could spend in seven lifetimes.” Clearly corporate DI$NEY a has little respect for cast members who get no more in a paycheck that buys less each week. I made the decision a few years ago when the corporate morality fell apart that I would never go there again.
I have a trip booked with my whole family for April grandkids first trip if this company who owns so many other companies can’t give cast members a decent raise I will be cancelling my trip. It’s bad enough the prices are so high and have gone up at ridiculous rates it’s near impossible for a family to make this trip. No one is in business not to make money and make no mistake this is big business ! People who are paid a good rate and treated with respect will work harder for you than people who are taken advantage of . It’s a very sad situation for the workers and the consumers
If the cast member union winds up accepting anything near the status quo of pay and benefits, they should argue that they revert to being called ‘employees’ versus “cast members,” since the they ultimately are not being treated as anything other than highly-replaceable, low-wage earners.
Thank you, Tom, for addressing this distressing problem head on!
Things at Disney are at such a down hill spiral, I wonder what management is thinking? Don’t they pay attention to the guests comments and complaints? It’s just sad.
I agree that the cast members are what make disney special. I have had so many wonderful moments from CM’s over the past 40 years. It’s the little extras that people cherish.
It seems the little extras are mostly gone now. Our family is completely disenchanted with Disney now. We used to go at least once a year and always bragged about how wonderful Disney was. But not now. We are spending our time and money at Universal and Sea World, and other wonderful places to see in Florida. It makes me frustrated and angry at the way Disney is handling things, especially the CM’s.
It’s true that if the CM’s arent’ happy, then they will not spread pixie dust. From the trip reports I’ve read, it seems more and more CM’s are not happy and it shows in their work and interactions with guests.
I don’t know if Disney can dig itself out of this hole it is digging, but hope to see more changes for the better, especially for the CM’s.
This is disgusting behavior on the part of Disney. Shameful! And so stupid. I have seen firsthand the abuse these poor CMs get, and it’s ridiculous. My sister and I waited in line at Guest Services outside MK when the APs came back last year, hoping to transfer our day tickets to APs. The man in front of us was agitated and seemed slightly obnoxious at 7 or 8 a.m., but we weren’t paying a ton of attention to him as we chatted in line.
Well, it got to our turn, and the poor lady in the glass cubicle was visibly shaken and profusely apologizing as we were walking up to her window for the “terrible delay.” There was no delay. There were like four people in front of us. No biggie.
We explained what we wanted to do but had a little bit of a tricky time because half the party was getting DVC Sorcerer passes versus the Incredipass. Some IT issues. Shocking, I know. The poor girl was almost crying with apologies, severely agitated, like a dog who had been kicked too many times for nonsense. We kept reassuring her it was fine, she was doing us a great favor processing our APs, we were excited to get them, and we were in no special rush for a breakfast reservation or anything.
After several minutes it was all straightened out, seven APs processed, two happy sisters who got all their family’s minutia handled. We were thrilled, and the CM STILL was apologizing for making us wait, the delay with IT, having to make a call to get it straightened out. We were like, seriously, it’s fine!
She handed us a wad of Lightning Lanes for MK and thanked us profusely for being so patient.
Seriously, the poor girl has PTSD at like 22 years old from interactions with psychos.
$20 is NOTHING for dealing with the arrogant, entitled, rude guests! And believe me, I get why everyone is on edge after the drama of masking, distancing, and being price gouged thousands of dollars. It’s a pressure cooker “vacation” with everyone ready to blow. But, that doesn’t excuse abusive behavior.
In an era where they can pay off Chapek to go away to the tune of millions of dollars, but rides are breaking down daily in all the parks and there’s not enough staff to handle the parks, this is just gross. All it’s going to take is someone being killed or maimed due to a CM not checking a restraint properly or a ride malfunctioning like at Icon park, and then that bad press will be the nail in the coffin. Disney will be praying to hire CMs at $25 an hour when Epic is open, especially with all the bad press.
Ugh. I’m disgusted. I love the parks. I love DVC. I love the CMs. But management, what the hell are you thinking, you a*holes!?!?
I totally agree. I almost threw up when I read that, when Disney was trying to contact Bob Iger to ask him to come back, he was on his fancy yacht doing a circumnavigation of New Zealand! They pay the people doing the real work a disgraceful pittance while they skim off all the profits for themselves. I know two people who worked for privately-owned companies (one in Tampa) – in one case the owner was constantly traveling on expensive trips to the likes of Antarctica, while his underpaid employees (including my friend, a registered professional engineer) worked long thankless hours, and in the other case (a nursing home in upstate NY) the owner stayed on his PRIVATE CARIBBEAN ISLAND while leaving the place woefully understaffed and dangerous – meanwhile milking the private-pay patients a sickening fortune for the privilege of waiting to die in his hellhole.