Strike!

[PirateJohn]

The one abt the autistic boy's mom made me hurt for you.

Hmm, I think you're thinking of someone else with that one...

Anyway, thank you to you and goose. I agree that striking is a very personal decision and if cast members choose to strike, I don't disagree with them at all.

It's not so much guilt I feel -- I feel none, frankly -- as it is a twinge of fear. I think we're all feeling that a bit. Fear, mostly, that some of my very good friends are going to turn on me and that there is going to be the same animosity toward cast members that occurred 22 years ago.

[BirdMom]

I would never ask someone to suffer "for the good" of everyone else. That's bullsh*t. Whatever happened to personal responsibility?

Personal responsibility works two ways Goose. I could ask whatever happened to collective responsibility? Why are we so concerned with our own issues that we willfully disregard important developments happening around us?

Ideally, the CM's have a collective responsibility to each other both inside and outside the workplace. Inside, they should be considerate of timekeeping and sharing the tasks at hand (although, lord knows after 11 years there, I knew of some really inconsiderate CM's who did neither - human nature). Outside, they should educate themselves on the labor issues that affect everyone in their department and, indeed, the entire company and hopefully, act in such a manner that will be to the benefit of everyone. I don't understand what is B.S. about that. I hardly consider it suffering to do what is right. But I suppose these days, too many people would rather do what is easy than do what is right.

[PirateJohn]

I don't understand what is B.S. about that. I hardly consider it suffering to do what is right. But I suppose these days, too many people would rather do what is easy than do what is right.

See, this is the sort of thing I'm getting at. You are talking about doing what is "right," without even considering that what is right for you may not be right for me or someone else.

Thus far, it seems that all your talk of personal responsibility boils down to your thinking that those who disagree with the rest of the group are being irresponsible. All of these issues might be important to you, but they're just not that important to me. Certainly not nearly important enough for me to go through one hell of a major hardship for it.

I was in the Air Force for six years, so I know all about making personal sacrifices for the good of others. It's what I was for a long time. But you don't hear me trying to guilt other people into joining the military, because I understand that everybody is unique, and just because somebody else doesn't think national defense is sufficiently important doesn't mean they're wrong and I'm right.

It's perfectly possible and reasonable for two completely opposite viewpoints both to be correct.

[Zazu]

Geezz, wish I could word like Zazu .

It's not that hard. Just gather around you folks whose writing you admire, ask their opinions of your work, take their criticism constructively, and keep writing and taking criticism every day for forty years or so.

Of course, you also have to have a really clear idea of what you want to write, but that's trivial by comparison.

Worked for me! :D:

[PirateJohn]

It's not that hard. Just gather around you folks whose writing you admire, ask their opinions of your work, take their criticism constructively, and keep writing and taking criticism every day for forty years or so.

Of course, you also have to have a really clear idea of what you want to write, but that's trivial by comparison.

Worked for me! :D:

And if all that fails, plagiarize! :)

[goose]

Personal responsibility works two ways Goose. I could ask whatever happened to collective responsibility? Why are we so concerned with our own issues that we willfully disregard important developments happening around us?

Ideally, the CM's have a collective responsibility to each other both inside and outside the workplace. Inside, they should be considerate of timekeeping and sharing the tasks at hand (although, lord knows after 11 years there, I knew of some really inconsiderate CM's who did neither - human nature). Outside, they should educate themselves on the labor issues that affect everyone in their department and, indeed, the entire company and hopefully, act in such a manner that will be to the benefit of everyone. I don't understand what is B.S. about that. I hardly consider it suffering to do what is right. But I suppose these days, too many people would rather do what is easy than do what is right.

I am not in attractions so I'm not in the same boat as other CMs. Let's just pretend for a moment that I was.

Like I said I have very little money in the bank. I also need my prescription drugs everyday! If I don't get them, my health will begin to suffer.

Since we're all one big happy striking family...would you be willing to pay for my prescription drugs? Yeah...that's what I thought.

I suppose I could go on welfare, but again, I believe in taking care of myself. Why should taxpayers have to pay for my decision to go on strike?

In other words, I wouldn't be able to strike because it would literally jeapordize my health. If someone actually thinks that's selfish of me...they can go f*ck themselves. :)

[Stduck]

I see both sides of the arguement. Unfortunately for me I am trying to move on in the company this whole collective barganing agreement scares me. I'd love to say I can afford to strike, unfortunately I'm in the same boat as PirateJohn. Unfortunately for the union that's what its going to come down to, the cast is not paid enough (based on inflation we are making less then they did back in the 80s) and what little we are paid we hang onto like its the last dollar we will get.

I hate to put words in PirateJohn's mouth but knowing him I bet he would strike if it wasn't such a financial need. Talking to other CMs most don't want to strike for the same reason. So its not so much we don't hold the ideals of striking to make a point. A strike in the short run tends to a bad thing for the group striking. Take the grocery store strike they lost out big time but when other grocery contracts came do they got better deals because of fear of a strike. Unfortunately we have to sometimes take a hit for the greater good. I don't always feel it is right but what will happen will and somehow we'll make it through.

[cheshire]

Just out of curiosity, what would we be striking for? Better pay? Better benefits? Better schedules? Cause I'm all for better pay. From what I'm reading on-line even the TDA big wigs were having trouble doing our job.(attractions) I think the problem is that Disney is split between the "lifers" and the "I'm only here while I go to school" types. It's always been that way. Kinda why it was good to work at Disney. I am a "lifer going to school some day, raising 3 kids in the meantime" type. Anyway, is there even going to be a strike? And which other unions would be honoring it if there was? I know sometimes outside vendors won't cross picket lines out of respect.

[Zazu]

Perhaps there's a way to get most of the benefits of a strike without wiping out the life savings of most cast members.

I would respectfully suggest a one-day strike. This is a financial hit that nearly all of us could endure, so no one would have reason to cross the line. The value of a one-day strike would be to demonstrate to the Company just how unhappy and just how united the cast is over the issues at hand.

Perhaps knowing that the union was able to pull some sizable fraction of the cast out for that day (and knowing just how poorly the park was run without us) would have a beneficial effect in the negotiations.

Might be worth considering.

Zazu,
Steward-in-training,
UniteHERE 362

[BirdMom]

Back in '84, one of my fellow merch. CM's had a sister-in-law who worked as a nurse. I'm not sure which of the nurses unions told them that if it got back to them that any of their number had crossed the Disney picketline, that there would be trouble. In general, no union members cross another unions' picket line. My father-in-law was a butcher, so we were shopping at Trader Joe's and Stater Brothers (despite our Vons/Ralphs preference) until the strike was settled. It's just not morally right.

I can remember my father being on strike when I was a wee person. He worked for an airline and had a non-working wife and two kids. He got a temporary job with the longshoreman's union unloading boats in Long Beach until the strike was over. We had no Christmas that year, but it was o.k. We were told why and were told that the holiday would be made up at a later date. If you're raised with these sort of principals they sort of stay with you. And contrary to what some of the naysayers think, there is help available through various social agencies for food, medicine and some money. If you feel it's the right thing to do, an agency like Lutheran Social Services will be glad to give you groceries to tide your family over. There is still such a thing as a social safety net. Medicare and Medical will help for the temporarilly unemployed.

This is the last time I'm going to say anything on the subject - I paid my dues before some of you were born - I hear the same people still bitching about the company 11 years after I quit. And I see people I don't know complaining here and on other online forums. If one feels the company is not doing right by the employees, one has a moral obligation to go to the union hall and vote his/her conscience, especially if the feeling is that the contract is not improving working conditions at the Park. If the membership as a majority decides to go out on strike, then one has a moral obligation to support that job action. No one said it's easy, no one said it's fun. However, if all people are going to do is whine and continue complaining about scheduling, timekeeping, wages versus inflation, health care and other benefits and then in turn take no action - those people have abdicated their right to do any complaining in the future until the next contract negotiation vote rolls around.