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Celphi t1_j74wbe6 wrote

The unions at Disney are painfully weak. The union workers don't make up even half the cast members and Disney employs what's known as the 'College Program'. People who are housed in Disney owned apartments, rely on Disney for transportation, are paid below normal compensation and who are forbidden from being in the union.

From the article:

>More than 14,000 votes were cast and 96% voted no.

Out of:

>Currently, the park has 75,000 cast members

One of the places I worked there had a whopping 3 members (myself included) in the entire department. I'm pretty sure life would continue on without us in the event of a strike.

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Drikkink t1_j75zgq9 wrote

I worked college program for a year in culinary. I was paid reasonably well but they charged a TON for rent (since we all lived in dorms) and took it directly from your paycheck. I think I got charged roughly 150 a week to share a 3 bedroom with 5 other guys.

I got hired on full time, got a $4 an hour raise, paid 700 a month as my portion of a 3 way split 3 bedroom and would have been union with benefits if I made it a year. I left near that year point because I wanted to finish my degree.

Overall, the program wasn't awful. Made a lot of friends and it was a fun time having constant access to the parks, but they really did treat it like slave labor.

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razorirr t1_j76n11w wrote

I mean a ton for rent is normal for dorms. UofM charges 25880 per school year for a triple dorm. If you figured that cost out for a full year, your lovers triangle could build a 3br 2ba median cost house in the state in 6.5 years.

they also are charging 5172 a school year (8 months) for food. 646 a month / 21.55 a day

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radcattitude t1_j76of6p wrote

There’s definitely something worse about Disney company town-ing 18 year olds desperate to feel some Disney Magic.

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Celphi t1_j775k21 wrote

I liked the overall idea of the program, its just how exploitative they ended up making it, and in the end, was seemed like it was just another way to weaken the unions. Some of the best friends I ever made working there were CPs.

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fredmull1973 t1_j74x7ab wrote

Their college music program was just ended

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Celphi t1_j74z94s wrote

CP was more than just music. CPs were 'embedded' in pretty much every department at the parks.

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Soma91 t1_j7713bh wrote

> forbidden from being in the union.

How is this not highly illegal?

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whitepikmin11 t1_j78ju7h wrote

CPs don't even get holiday pay cause they're "interns" and for some reason that means they don't get any benefits.

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das_thorn t1_j763li5 wrote

Not really surprising when there are thousands of people willing to uproot their lives and move to work at Disney.

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danvapes_ t1_j78yi6q wrote

That's just the south in general, also right to work laws in this country really keep union membership numbers down. I worked as a union electrician in Florida for five and a half years, we have very low market share, and because unions are weak down here, the conditions, pay, and benefits were significantly lower than other union strong areas. However, I don't regret being a union member one bit. My pay and benefits were far above what a lot of electricians are paid in this state.

Unfortunately the IBEW local that services Orlando and Disney has one of the lowest scales in the state.

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