This is similar to a less-detailed point I made on another MP thread, and to a thread I started in Miceage. Please forgive me for that.

When Henry Ford started paying his factory workers $5 a day he became a national hero and his company's reputation improved. (We'll ignore his later support for a certain German leader!) Ford became the place to work!

Disney ought to announce that starting in May of 2007 the minimum wage of all (non-tipped) Disney employees in its American parks will be ten bucks an hour. It's approaching that now and if it just creeps there--passing the $10 figure along with WalMart--it won't get any attention. But if Disney announces this now it will receive positive national attention and will dramatically improve it's applicant pool.

There will be some additional income from those who like to feel good about the businesses they support. Whole Foods makes billions from families who want to feel good about their purchases; and Trader Joe's, Costco, and Starbucks have all been successful while compensating their employees more than most of their competitors.

A Nicole Richie at Disneyland thread seems to instantly get 50 responses and over 1,400 people who view it, while this suggestion for helping new Disneyland employees gets ignored. Sigh.

I expected at least one cold-hearted reader to make the obvious reply that it might raise ticket prices, or that Disney could never afford to do this.

Yes, I know the Disneyland area on Mousepad gets more hits than this business section, but c'mon.

Your post has been up for two hours on a Saturday morning, when many people have better things to do than hang around on a message board. Give it time.

It's 8:38pm here, and I don't have anything better to do than hang around on a message board!

And considering I want to work at Disney one day, they should definately up the wages!

It's approaching that now
Really? I think that the 50,000 employees at Walt Disney World, where the starting salary is $6.75 per hour (and where they're laying off another 125 custodial staff and contracting the job out), might disagree with you.

hey, i think it's great they're increasing the wages at DL - it's about time! so congrats to any of you CMs out there that will be getting a raise!

If someone wants to earn $10/hr, they can work at McDonalds/Wendys/Burger King/etc near me*. That's the wage they all advertise. But they have done away with the per-check bonuses that they had for a while, for full-time employees.

Oh, but affordable housing is a bit of an issue.

In other words - it's all about supply and demand. If Disney decides that it wants more CMs to be applying, then they'll raise starting wages. If they're happy with the crop they're getting, and the rate of turnover, there's absolutely no reason for them to do anything about it.

*For those that don't know, I live in the New Orleans area

Really? I think that the 50,000 employees at Walt Disney World, where the starting salary is $6.75 per hour (and where they're laying off another 125 custodial staff and contracting the job out), might disagree with you.
I didn't know that WDW had wages that low. If they are now making $6.75, a bump up to $10 is (sadly) unrealistic for WDW's management. But maybe Disneyland could swing it.
I'm curious, are these McD's that start at $10 per hour in New Orleans, where Drince (right above) resides?

I'm curious, are these McD's that start at $10 per hour in New Orleans, where Drince (right above) resides?
That's what the big signs on them say - and yes, in the New Orleans area (I live in the 'burbs on the lucky side of the 17th St Canal and work across the street from the Superdome.)