Disney and Unions reach agreement on pay increases for Walt Disney World Cast Members

Mar 23, 2023 in "The Walt Disney Company"

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Posted: Thursday March 23, 2023 5:13pm ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

The STCU Union has this afternoon announced that it has reached an agreement with Disney to increase the minimum wage from $15 to $18 by the end of the year for full-time workers at Walt Disney World.

Disney Cast Members will have the highest starting wage of the Orlando area theme parks under the new agreement

The Union's members will vote on the contract Wednesday, March 29, with all 6 unions unanimous in their support for the agreement and recommending their members vote to ratify the agreement

An $18 starting wage will move Disney ahead of Universal, which increased its starting wage to $17 earlier this year.

Here is the full statement from the unions.

Today the Services Trades Council Union (STCU) representing 45,000 theme park workers reached a historic tentative agreement with Walt Disney World.
Under this agreement, which is subject to approval by union members, every current theme park worker in the union will receive a raise between $5.50 and $8.60 by the end of the contract, with the first $3 in raises arriving this year.
"Securing an $18.00 minimum hourly rate this year, increasing the overall economic value of Disney's original offer, and ensuring full back pay for every worker are the priorities union members were determined to fight for. Today, we won that fight!" said STCU President Matt Hollis. Nearly 14,000 union members voted to reject Disney's previous offer in February. In that proposal, Disney had offered only a $17 minimum in 2023. Hotel and theme park workers from every union department voted to reject that offer and keep fighting for every union member to get $18 this year and full back pay.
The six STCU affiliates - IATSE Local 631, IBT Local 385, TCU Local 1908, UFCW Local 1625, UNITE HERE Local 362, and UNITE HERE Local 737 - are unanimous in their support for this agreement and will be recommending their members vote to ratify the agreement. The STCU is scheduling a ratification vote to take place on March 29 from 7:00am - 7:00pm and will announce the results of the vote at that time.
For workers in job classifications that currently earn the minimum of $15, minimum hourly rates will increase to $16 effective 10/1/2022, with full back pay to all eligible union workers, then increase again to $17 upon ratification and $18 this December. Their total raise will be $5.50 in 5 years, with the first $3 coming by December 2023.
Workers in many classifications will receive additional increases, with raises retroactive to October 2022:
• Union Housekeepers: increase from $17 to $20 immediately, ending at $24 in Oct. 2026
• Union Dishwashers: increase from $15 to $18 immediately, ending at $22 in Oct. 2026
• Cook 2 (union prep cook): increase from $16.40 to $20 immediately, ending at $24 in Oct. 2026
• Cook 1 (union line cook): increase from $19 to $23.10 immediately, ending at $27.10 in Oct. 2026
• Union Chef Assistant: increase from $20 to $24.60 immediately, ending at $28.60 in Oct. 2026
• Union Bus Drivers: increase from $18 to $20.50 immediately, ending at $24.50 in Oct. 2026
The agreement also provides eight weeks of paid Child Bonding Leave, which is a benefit that does not exist in the current contract, and offers increases to many hourly premiums. The minimum rate for current workers will increase to $20.50 by October 2026. The minimum rate for workers hired after December 3, 2023, will increase to $20 by October 2026.

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DCBakerMay 16, 2023

UNITE HERE Local 737 has shared date details on pay rate changes and retroactive pay. "Information on Union Raises at Disney Pay rate changes will go into effect Sunday, May 21 and will be paid in the paychecks dated Thursday, June 1. You will see that check on the Hub on Sunday, May 28. The second portion of the retroactive pay will be in checks dated Thursday, June 15. This second retroactive payment will cover all hours paid between March 26, 2023 and May 20, 2023. On April 20, 2023, Disney already made the first retroactive payment for all hours paid between October 2, 2022 and March 25, 2023."

quarktheduckApr 03, 2023

When I started my Aspire program for a bachelors in 2020 the courses per term allotment was three classes/semester. In December they removed the restrictions altogether so there is no longer a limit for any program. Programs available will always change with interest and enrollment fluctuation and what the schools choose to offer, that has nothing to do with Disney removing benefits. Several schools have been added over the years. If you do start a program and it is later removed from the catalog, you are still able to complete the program and it does not effect your funding. And there have always been more restrictions on Masters programs because they are so much more expensive. So I'm not sure how it has been reduced.

quarktheduckApr 03, 2023

I know this wasn't directed to me, but personally as an hourly O&T, I am the only person in my position in this location, it was empty for four months before I accepted the role, and before that were two TA's that gave up and went back to their former positions before even getting to the 6 month mark. My job is necessary for continued operation of a resort. In response to saying I will now be making $2 LESS than the position I was "promoted" from and it makes no sense to consider it a "promotion," not to mention $4 less than the housekeeping who are considered "below" me (which 100% deserve every cent they get, I'm only aiming for *as much* but it would be considered a demotion to switch to housekeeping), I was told "then go back to merchandise." Not easy to replace doesn't mean they won't. So, there's that.

quarktheduckApr 03, 2023

JoeCamelApr 02, 2023

I think it is Cali

mktApr 02, 2023

When was this? I didn't pay union dues when I wasn't a union member as a CM.

LilofanApr 02, 2023

Contract can give Disney to cut full timers down to 32 hours per week. I had worked back in the day at hotels non union when they were not enough heads on beds ( low occupancy ) staff was cut to 16-24 hours per week.

MagicHappens1971Apr 01, 2023

I don’t even have the energy to argue this anymore, but myself and others have proven that these two things aren’t correlated.

Tom P.Apr 01, 2023

Resort discounts of 35% off are actually not that unusual, even during good times. Disney's resorts are priced high enough that they can offer "deep discounts" and still turn a tidy profit. It's one of their standard promotional techniques, so that people think they are getting a bargain. The Galactic Cruiser cancellations do definitely indicate things are soft with those bookings, but because GC is such a unique and high-priced offering, even by Disney standards, it doesn't necessarily serve as an indicator of demand across the rest of the resort. I'm not saying that things aren't softening on tourism bookings. I suspect that they are. I think we've just about passed the boom from post-Covid pent up travel demand, and the economy is generally shaky right now. That has to equal lower booking numbers. But I don't think the things you've cited necessarily are indicators of that.

CastAStoneApr 01, 2023

I think that’s a safe assumption. They’re pretty locked into wages but the contract gives them leeway to cut people and hours.

WDWFanRayApr 01, 2023

What’s going to happen to pay as the tourism industry continues to slow down? (I have received resort offers as high as 35% off and I hear Disney is canceling some galactic star cruiser dates, to consolidate lower bookings) I’ve never seen Disney cut wages, so I assume they would go with more layoffs, to further cut costs.

tallicaApr 01, 2023

It is actually worse than that. For example a CM with 20 years gets the same exact pay as a new hire if they are in the same unionized role.

tallicaApr 01, 2023

I have worked for Disney since 2016. During this time there has never been an agency fee or any other non tax deduction from mine or other family members paychecks. We are all in union roles but not union members.

tallicaApr 01, 2023

I already explained that in my first post that I don't know how many people in union jobs are actually members paying dues. The union is very secretive and hard to get reliable information from.