An infamous figure in American politics has publicly called out The Walt Disney Company.
The relationship between Cast Members at the Walt Disney World Resort has become quite strained as of late, with Disney refusing to give raises to employees despite several meetings with local unions.
Ten thousand members voted to support the Union’s initial contract proposal, which demanded at least a $5 per hour pay increase for all workers within the next three years. Disney refused, with the union claiming that “The [Walt Disney] Company said “No” to all of the Union’s other economic proposals regarding pension, health insurance, guaranteed 40 hours, premiums and other important issues.”
Disney has been criticized heavily for this decision, but when Universal revealed it would be raising its starting wage from $15 to $17 an hour, all eyes were on Disney.
Now, a prominent political figure has stepped into the ring and shared his opinion, and if you know anything about American politics, it certainly won’t be a surprise as to how he feels.
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders tweeted late Tuesday night his thoughts on The Walt Disney Company’s decision to not pay its workers “a living wage,” also using the tweet as an opportunity to call out former Disney CEO Bob Chapek who he claimed did “a lousy job.” Take a look at the tweet down below:
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.
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.
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) February 22, 2023
The tweet is a harsh judgment but rings true, especially in the wake of Universal’s announcement. Walt Disney World Cast Members start at around $15 an hour, a wage that seems incredibly low for the kind of work that they do for the Orlando, Florida theme park. Cast Members are the ones who truly bring the magic to the Parks, from Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Animal Kingdom to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Guests visiting Disney always remember their amazing experiences with these special employees.
Things also don’t look great for Disney after the company posted booming profits during its Q1 earnings report.
Weeks ago, employees at the Tokyo Disney Resort got their first pay increase in six years.
Do you agree with Bernie Sanders? Should DIsney pay its employees more? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments below.