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View Full Version : What's Happening Now...The Contracts



Attractions 87
03-01-2002, 12:51 PM
Well, as if you all didn't know already, the Master Service contracts (which covers Attractions, Costuming, Merchandise, etc.) are up for renewal come March 15.

So what's happening with them, you ask?

Well, I'll tell you the truth. The hard core, cut right to it truth.

Attractions actually asked for a dollar an hour raise. Yeah, sure. But there is actually a way to pay for it. Cut Costuming's pay by a dollar an hour. After all, since they don't get our costumes anymore, they're certainly not as valuable as they were, so why pay them the same rate as before?

Okay, enough soapboxing. Here's what you want to know.

Whatever the unions are asking for is...completely irrelivant.

Despite all the posturing you will hear about, all the "fighting we had to do" as the union will put it, it's all smoke.

Here's the fact: The unions have already said they have no intention of striking. Disney knows that. Given the economic times, Disney is going to eventually offer whatever it wants to, and the unions are going to swallow it.

Now, don't get me wrong. There is no way Disney is going to say "Ten year contract, no raise, no walktime". Get real. Even the unions will balk at that. But current thinking is 3,3,3 and an increase to 20 for walk.

Most people will vote for it. I won't. I actually have never voted Yes on a contract. They've never given me a contract which I felt was good enough.

But anyway, that's what's going down. Disney ahs already made up its mind, and the unions are going to take it because they have nothing to back themselves up with.

That's a reality of the economic times and a bitter reality when your labor is unskilled (as opposed to skilled).

Attractions 87
(Who is quite willing and able to strike)

Kevin Yee
03-01-2002, 02:39 PM
Would a dollar less per Costuming CM actually pay for a dollar more per Attractions CM? I mean, aren't there a lot more Attractions CMs? (never minding the political incorrectness of your soapbox!)

Master Services needs teeth, as all the unions do. I think we'd see more strikes (and thus better contracts) if the various departments had their own unions, rather than banding together into such a large one.

FWIW, I agree that things will just sort of limp along....

Attractions 87
03-01-2002, 03:19 PM
Would a dollar less per Costuming CM actually pay for a dollar more per Attractions CM? I mean, aren't there a lot more Attractions CMs? (never minding the political incorrectness of your soapbox!)

Just out of curiousity, what exactly was "politically incorrect" about that statement? Shouldn't people who do less work get less pay?

Master Services needs teeth, as all the unions do. I think we'd see more strikes (and thus better contracts) if the various departments had their own unions, rather than banding together into such a large one.

Actually, splitting the unions up would be a disaster for the workers. If only one union goes on strike, it is a lot easier to replace a few hundred people than it is to replace thousands. Hence the reason they "banded" together in the first place.

FWIW, I agree that things will just sort of limp along....

Interestingly, if this were same time last year, things would be quite different. What a difference a year makes, eh?

Attractions 87

innerSpaceman
03-01-2002, 03:59 PM
I support a workers' strike. While drastically devalued over the past year, Disney is still a megatrilliondollar corporation, and the pathetic wages they pay for labor are shameful. Strike, says I! Shut down the Parks, create a publicity nightmare for Disney. They can afford to pay more. Make 'em!

Mouse
03-01-2002, 04:19 PM
A dollar raise for attractions would make my job a lot less attractive. Since I got just under a 50 cent raise for an "exceeds expectations" performance review I would feel like my hard work meant nothing if a whole department got a dollar raise regardless of their performance.

Nigel2
03-01-2002, 09:30 PM
Originally posted by innerSpaceman
I support a workers' strike. While drastically devalued over the past year, Disney is still a megatrilliondollar corporation, and the pathetic wages they pay for labor are shameful. Strike, says I! Shut down the Parks, create a publicity nightmare for Disney. They can afford to pay more. Make 'em!

Hmmmm I wonder if that would actually hurt everyone in the long run if they had a strike since it may affect people's view of disneyland making them not want to go. Or disney could just hire scabs and boot the strikers off the property.:)

Kevin Yee
03-01-2002, 10:09 PM
Oh, I disagree that they could easily find scabs for an entire division. There are several thousand custodial workers; if they shut down, could they find enough folks quickly? Same with merch. And attractions requires very specific knowledge and training - they have the ability to strike the easiest. Foods is Local 681, not Master Services, and as such has arguably less strike threat than the banded-together unions... yet note that foods pays better than anything but top rate on attractions.

I thought it was fairly politically incorrect to claim that costuming CMs don't really work. They do something. In fact, they're hiring right now (unlike most attractions).

If the folks who do the most work should get the most pay, the Stewards (not shop stewards; I mean the guys who run dishmachines and potrooms) should be making $15 an hour while button pushers get booted down to minimum wage. It never works out that the hardest workers are paid the best.

I'm not implying attractions CMs don't work... but I also don't think knee-jerk reactionism against backstage folks is the answer either. There's a Rodney King lesson in all this somewhere....

Nigel2
03-01-2002, 10:32 PM
Odds are the high up people are ready in case of a strike with some plan. If one dept like custodial struk then they might be SOL or they may reorginize the labor some how. Either way it wouldn't be good.

PhilMP
03-03-2002, 01:06 PM
Originally posted by Kevin Yee

I thought it was fairly politically incorrect to claim that costuming CMs don't really work. They do something. In fact, they're hiring right now (unlike most attractions).


I think it's the opinion of every non-costuming CM in the Resort that 99% of costuming CMs don't work. Every time I go into the building to get a new set of costumes I see 1 person putting clothes up, 3 people manning the checkout desks, and 20 people standing around talking and acting rudely to everybody who isn't in costuming.

I also don't believe that attractions CMs don't deserve a dollar's pay raise for the work they do. 7-something an hour starting is exactly right for pushing buttons, fastening seat belts, and looking for the right number of people to put in a particular aisle. Give the money to the people who actually put effort into their jobs.

Phil

marron-cream
03-03-2002, 08:24 PM
Originally posted by PhilMP


I think it's the opinion of every non-costuming CM in the Resort that 99% of costuming CMs don't work. Every time I go into the building to get a new set of costumes I see 1 person putting clothes up, 3 people manning the checkout desks, and 20 people standing around talking and acting rudely to everybody who isn't in costuming.

I agree. The costuming CM I encountered tonight was too busy talking on the phone to a friend and dancing to the radio to be bothered with scanning my card and costume (which I had to get myself). I almost felt like she expected me to do the scanning.

I think every department feels they deserve a raise. I know my department does. I don't know how much costuming gets per hour. If they eventually end up with more than my department, I'd kind of resent it, because we merch CMs work VERY hard, IMO.

Morrigoon
03-03-2002, 09:42 PM
Has anyone here ever read Rich Dad, Poor Dad? He has a few interesting comments about pay raises.

Okay, sarcasm aside, I do believe that the current wages at DL are keeping many CMs below poverty level (those poor souls who have to live on their wages). I am continually amazed that anyone (especially those CMs with kids) can afford to live in Southern California on a Disney income. For that reason, I do believe a raise is in order. That said, I feel I should point out that most labor jobs in the area pay an unliveable wage, so Disney is not likely to increase the pay - they're already paying market value for their labor.

PhilMP
03-03-2002, 10:32 PM
Originally posted by marron-cream


I agree. The costuming CM I encountered tonight was too busy talking on the phone to a friend and dancing to the radio to be bothered with scanning my card and costume (which I had to get myself). I almost felt like she expected me to do the scanning.

I think every department feels they deserve a raise. I know my department does. I don't know how much costuming gets per hour. If they eventually end up with more than my department, I'd kind of resent it, because we merch CMs work VERY hard, IMO.

Well...there is a reason Casting put them in costuming in the first place, have them be rude to CMs instead of Guests. But I digress.

As for contracts, I find it highly unlikely that any union will get a raise in the next negotiations, maybe just a 5-minute increase in walking time and some other procedural clauses that rank-and-file CMs don't really care about (shift adjustments, etc.). Foods actually got it a little better since we negotiated back in August, before the entire Sept. 11 mess started, and the economy was better.

Phil

Nigel2
03-04-2002, 09:18 PM
Originally posted by Morrigoon
Okay, sarcasm aside, I do believe that the current wages at DL are keeping many CMs below poverty level (those poor souls who have to live on their wages). I am continually amazed that anyone (especially those CMs with kids) can afford to live in Southern California on a Disney income. For that reason, I do believe a raise is in order. That said, I feel I should point out that most labor jobs in the area pay an unliveable wage, so Disney is not likely to increase the pay - they're already paying market value for their labor.

Good point. I bet the costume cms do work but odds are they don't have a whole lot to do anymore since the new system for getting costumes. Then again they could have been that way before. I can already think of people that are hired to do a job yet they just sit and listen to the raido and chat all day.:mad:

Attractions 87
03-06-2002, 03:15 PM
I never said that cosutming dind't work. I said that they worked less than they did before. Therefore, they shouldn't be paid the same wages now than when they were doing more work. Of course, that is just a rant. Obviously, capitalism would kick in and most likely very few people would work (let alone stick around) for minimum wage in Costuming.

Do Attractiosn people work? Well, we do have to know a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff, so it's a lot harder than it appears. Plus we have to put up with the Groupies (See previous rant/posting).

I hope to have more info on the current state of the contracts in a day or three.

The big day is coming. I already have my strike sign ready.

Attractions 87