Disney Parks $10 min wage

[jcruise86]

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!)

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 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.

--Yksnis Mot

[SCUBAbe]

Re: Disney Parks $10 min wage

yeah...I don't think so. There's so much more than just raising the wage....but this subject has already been talked and debated a lot on this board.

[joEticket]

Re: Disney Parks $10 min wage

If that happened, expect the cost to be passed onto the customer. Tickets, passes, parking, merchandise and dining would all be significantly more expensive. Would you pay $65 for a single day - single park ticket? $85 for a parkhopper?

[DisneySarah]

Re: Disney Parks $10 min wage

It's already at $63 for a single day. Two extra bucks so that the employees can make a halfway decent wage? Count me in!

[Cousin Orville]

Re: Disney Parks $10 min wage

I think they should eat the wage increase and invest in the Cast. the cast is the tipping point between a good and bad guest experience. One rude remark or the cume effect of apathy can scar 9 great rides. Just slowing the huge turnover should save them a ton of money as it is. The cost of training and rehiring is significant. I'm sick of Admission price increases that pay for the paint and dry rot they should have been caring for all along.

[Druggas]

Re: Disney Parks $10 min wage

Just slowing the huge turnover should save them a ton of money as it is. The cost of training and rehiring is significant.

Amen to that!

[joEticket]

Re: Disney Parks $10 min wage

It's already at $63 for a single day. Two extra bucks so that the employees can make a halfway decent wage? Count me in!

Ooops. I'm living in the era of $59 single day single park passes, I guess it would be closer to $68 and $88 considering todays prices are $63 and $83.

[eyes_of_mara]

Re: Disney Parks $10 min wage

Wage isn't the only issue. Better off-stage work areas and flexible hours are just as big of concerns, if not bigger.

[wave789]

Re: Disney Parks $10 min wage

If DL raises it's min wage to $10, I'll be making ~$11+. But I'd also like to see improvements to backstage areas and breakrooms, but the recent Inn Between refurb is a start I suppose.

[fjhuerta]

Re: Disney Parks $10 min wage

It's already at $63 for a single day. Two extra bucks so that the employees can make a halfway decent wage? Count me in!

It'd be more like "2 extra for the greedy execs, who passed the cost to customers instead of cutting their profits". But I digress.

[Cmash95]

Re: Disney Parks $10 min wage

cutting profits means stock goes down. stock goes down iger go bye bye it's that simple. Disney is a fortune 500 company that is out to make money, it's not a charity. If you are willing to pay more for tickets then I am sure CM's will gladly take more money. but you can't have it both ways

[nemopoppins]

Re: Disney Parks $10 min wage

No, prices would not have to be raised if wages were. I believe that the modest but meaningful raise in wages would cut down on absenteeism and turnover. Money would be saved by not having to recruit, employ, and discharge employees repeatedly. Wages would not be wasted training the same positions over and over. In retaining more employees, consider foods for example, being fully staffed with more experienced workers, much more food could be served to many more guests in less time. There's money saved there. Productivity would increase in all areas because of job satisfaction alone. Indirectly, guest satisfaction would also contribute to higher revenues. I think Disney (Iger and stockholders)could only win by raising wages. It wouldn't even be that much of a risk. If a minimum wage increase was later found to not have desirable consequences, its impact could then be reversed in time by delaying any further increases. Come on Disney, just do it!

[SCUBAbe]

Re: Disney Parks $10 min wage

I'm not convinced just starting cm's out at $10 an hour would solve the high turnover rate. My company starts the entry level, no real prior experience off at $10 an hour and we still have very high turnover. Throwing money at the problem will just be a duck tape solution. From what I've read it seems DL needs to retrain their mangers and ensure the cm's feel valued. That can go a long way.

[nemopoppins]

Re: Disney Parks $10 min wage

If someone gave me more money I would feel valued. I'd feel like an idiot if I loved my job because my boss was trained on how to push my buttons.

[ministrychick77]

Re: Disney Parks $10 min wage

ten bucks an hour? wow.... might have to move back down there and apply. i'd love to work at disneyland. or dca for that matter. make me sell glow sticks. i'd have fun!

[aimster]

Re: Disney Parks $10 min wage

Would you pay $65 for a single day - single park ticket?

Well we're already paying around $70 for a one day/one park pass at WDW.

[aaronpaulcustoms]

Re: Disney Parks $10 min wage

im not getting into this discussion again...GOOD DAY TO YOU!!!!!!!I SAID GOOD DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[SCUBAbe]

Re: Disney Parks $10 min wage

If someone gave me more money I would feel valued. I'd feel like an idiot if I loved my job because my boss was trained on how to push my buttons.

it's a temporary fix. People feel good for a while, then they get used to making $10.00 an hour and it doesn't seem that great anymore, especailly if the working envrionment sucks. It's not a matter of pushing buttins. It's a matter of really caring for the employees. It's not suppose to be fake, it's real and when it's real it makes a difference.

so, lets say they get $10.00 an hour. It's still not a living wage. You can't live on that in so cal. The next discussion will be "cm's should get $15.00 an hour, but that still won't be a living wage...so how much should an entry level job pay that required no prior training?.

[nemopoppins]

Re: Disney Parks $10 min wage

so, lets say they get $10.00 an hour. It's still not a living wage. You can't live on that in so cal.

So this is an argument to not raise wages?

Actually, that is a living wage for many people. It might not be enough to live privately or to support a family or to live in a style that most would prefer not to live beneath. Buy then there are increases, right?

Yes, being cared for is important. It would be awful if your pay was too low, conditions were poor, and you weren't appreciated. I just think that if I could only have one thing, I would choose more money. I perceive compensation to also be an indication of an employee's value.

[Cmash95]

Re: Disney Parks $10 min wage

from what I have heard about DL Cm's as well as WDW will take more than wage increases to fix. as was stated above, the first thing that needs to change is the working environment. you would be surprised at how little things done for employees like discounting meals in nice breakrooms and flexible scheduling is a big first step. also retraining management staff to be more employee friendly would also help. when all this is done and worker esteem is raised, you would see a much lower absentee rate as well as a lower turnover rate, then you can raise wages if it's needed.