Disney and Union Workers have been struggling to strike a deal since summer of 2017, but there may be final consideration and resolution between the two parties with a new offer on the table from Disney. By 2021, Disney has offered to meet the Unions’ demands of minimum wage of $15 an hour. The unions make up nearly 40,000 of Disney’s workers, and even with this new offer, they aren’t ready to close the deal just yet.
Bob Harris, a Walt Disney World bus driver said this about the contract negotiations, “It’s on the table, but we have to give certain things back to the company to enable us to get that money.”
In December, the union workers rejected Disney’s initial offer of a 3% raise annually and a bonus of $200. It was an overwhelming shutdown of the offer, with 93% of voters rejecting the offer made. With this new offer, Disney is also offering to go back to the table and re-negotiate their contracts, with details like overtime pay.
Back in February, a federal complaint was filed by the unions against Walt Disney World for unfair labor practices. The company was accused of withholding $1,000 bonuses until new contract agreements had been reached, and if not, the bonus offers would expire August 31st, 2018.
SOURCE: WFTV
Just curious, do you have any basis for the statement that the unions make up almost 40,000 workers? Florida is a right to work state and while all CMs in certain positions are technically covered by the contract, I know many that are not union members. I would be really surprised if the union actually has that many dues paying members. Secondly, I find it curious that the union filed an unfair labor practice charge for not paying the $1,000 bonus since it is clearly a negotiable item and the company has no legal obligation to pay it.
Bill
Funny, that if the Union does collectively bargain a better package for it’s members (wages, healthcare, retirement, etc…) I bet non of your non dues paying “right to work” CM’s will refuse the increased benefits that resulted by said dues and the bargaining leverage of the collective. Adding merit to the turn of phrase: “right to work is the right to freeload”.
Paul,
Perhaps true, but the union knew the rules when they organized. If they can’t make a compelling enough case to convince a CM to pay 1-2% of their wages as dues then that’s their problem.
I’m all for seeing CMs get paid a fair wage, but fair is in the eye of the beholder. If Disney finds it difficult to hire and retain CMs then I suspect they will make a better offer. If not, then you will continue to see the type of offer that Disney has on the table.
A compelling case is hard to make when we live in a culture that has led people to believe that the hard working middle class doesn’t deserve the American Dream which I’m sure Walt would disagree with wholeheartedly considering how his CM’s show such ethic, commitment and determination to their jobs and mission… The simple truth is people freeload off of Union’s collective bargaining for two reasons:
1. Because they can… If they can get out of paying for something why shouldn’t they… let the other guy pay while I legally benefit and get it for free… A lack of class, character and integrity will help this rationalization along.
2. Because of politics… Unions historically have given money to support candidates that support unions (makes sense to me), but by doing so some members don’t believe in some of the issues that that candidate might support (planned parenthood, LGBTQ causes, universal healthcare, ect…) and therefore think their dues shouldn’t be collected based on the fact they don’t want their money going to causes they don’t believe in (also makes sense to me)… The solution was to allow members the freedom to opt out of political causes by simply checking a box on their union dues form which would allow their dues to go only towards the costs to fund the collective bargaining process… Unfortunately political forces had already leveraged the situation allowing for right to work states to pop up all over the country in an attempt to kill unions (which many would say has succeeded)… and in doing so, eliminating one of this country’s great checks and balances against corporate greed and selfishness which we clearly and evidently see in our society today as the middle class has all but died with wealth and power concentrated in the hands of a few all at the top of society!!! And now that this problem regularly effects people from all levels of training and academic achievement people are finally seeing the error in abandoning “Keynesian” economic theory which saw this country to it’s best years economically and allowed the average family to enjoy America’s wholesome institutions like WDW… Supply side economic theory (which hates Unions), on the other hand, have done nothing but create insecurity and wealth inequality and made possible the realization that THE VAST majority of Americans won’t prosper as much as their parents/grand parents before them… regardless of how hard they work.
I believe this country would be a far better place if everyone could afford to take their children to places like WDW…
“In my view, wholesome pleasure, sport, and recreation are as vital to this nation as productive work and should have a large share in the national budget.”
~Walt Disney~
A compelling case is hard to make when we live in a culture that has led people to believe that the hard working middle class doesn’t deserve the American Dream which I’m sure Walt would disagree with wholeheartedly considering how his CM’s show such ethic, commitment and determination to their jobs and mission… The simple truth is people freeload off of Union’s collective bargaining for two reasons:
1. Because they can… If they can get out of paying for something why shouldn’t they… let the other guy pay while I legally benefit and get it for free… A lack of class, character and integrity will help this rationalization along.
2. Because of politics… Unions historically have given money to support candidates that support unions (makes sense to me), but by doing so some members don’t believe in some of the issues that that candidate might support (planned parenthood, LGBTQ causes, universal healthcare, ect…) and therefore think their dues shouldn’t be collected based on they don’t want their money going to causes they don’t believe in (also makes sense to me)… The solution was to allow members the freedom to opt out of political causes by simply checking a box on their union dues form which would allow their dues to go only towards the costs to fund the collective bargaining process… Unfortunately political forces had already leveraged the situation allowing for right to work states to pop up all over the country in an attempt to kill unions (which many would say has succeeded)… and in doing so, eliminating one of this country’s great checks and balances against corporate greed and selfishness which we clearly and evidently see in our society today as the middle class has all but died with wealth and power concentrated in the hands of a few all at the top of society!!! And now that this problem regularly effects people from all levels of training and academic achievement people are finally seeing the error in abandoning “Keynesian” economic theory which saw this country to it’s best years economically and allowed the average family to enjoy America’s wholesome institutions like WDW… Supply side economic theory (which hates Unions), on the other hand, has done nothing but create insecurity and wealth inequality and made possible the realization that THE VAST majority of Americans won’t prosper as much as their parents/grand parents before them… regardless of how hard they work.
I believe this country would be a far better place if everyone could afford to take their children to places like WDW…
“In my view, wholesome pleasure, sport, and recreation are as vital to this nation as productive work and should have a large share in the national budget.”
~Walt Disney~
About time!! CM’s do one heck of a job!!
Amen!
They don’t make much, but you wouldn’t know it by how friendly I’ve always been treated by CM’s (both at the parks and resorts)… great people, and just as important and part of the magic as the parks themselves!
I hope their Union gets them a better quality of life… and it would be nice to know that the 10’s of thousands of dollars I’ve spent over the years isn’t just going to the very top of the Disney food chain.
The detail they left out is this comes with a 20% reduction in workforce. Things will not be getting better!