Stupid Guest Tricks

Hey everybody. I was wondering in Disneyland if anybody could tell me what happened when you went on strike. I have been attending negotations for the side letter agreement so far and the company is always showing up late, cancelling meetings, and rejecting everything we are posposing. This is everything from guarnteeting a 40 hour workweek, paying a livable wage, labor grade increases for those that preform unique jobs that are a combination of two or more jobs, and ensuring that we keep out collective bargining agreement even if the company is bought by someone else. Also to let everybody here know somebody in the negoitations has asked the Vice Presidents how much they made, and the refused to answer the question.

As some updates come available I will post them here on this website. Following this post is the update from 5/12.

Sorry that is is a little long, and there may be some information that may be confusing.

NEGOTIATION UPDATE!!!!

First off: I put this plea in my last email update. So far I have about 30 paragraphs. A most excellent start! But I need so many more....so if you haven't done this yet....please write one!


HERE's HOW YOU CAN HELP!!!!!

I'm going to start collecting little statements from all of you. I am asking, begging, pleading, whatever.....for you to write a one paragraph statement about your current workplace and your living situation. The company needs to know how important higher wages, health benefits and scheduling is to you. So email me a paragraph something like this:

My name is (first name) and I work at________. I am very concerned about (schedules, wages, benefits). I am living paycheck to paycheck, or I have children, or I am behind in my rent, or I need time to finish my degree to better my life, or I have a parent I am caring for. I am asking the comany to do the following so I can live comfortably and continue my career at WDW.

If I don't have enough statements....this won't be powerful enough. My goal is 200 ONE PARAGRAPH STATEMENTS by MAY 25th!!! I will then format them all together. I write this email to over 400 workers. So write me...and tell your fellow workers to do the same. Keep it friendly, respectful, short but powerful....thank you. If I don't get enough....I can't give them to the company....DON'T LET ME DOWN!!!! PLEASE!!!!!


Ok, new stuff:

On May 11th 362 met with the executives exclusively about custodial. I unfortunately wasn't there for the morning part but I heard that there were great new proposals, further protecting custodial workers and compensating them for the work they do. For example, there was a suggested clause of a $4 payout for every time a worker has to clean protein, blood, or "other fluid" spills. Not fun work: it deserves special compensation. (The folks working at SPACE would become MILLIONAIRES!!!!)

I did see a great presentation by the "custodial staff" at Fort Wilderness. Those words are in quotes because they are hardly just custodial. They do roadwork, full landscaping, drive heavy machinery, chainsaws, forklifts, major industrial garbage removal, etc. I'm amazed these people do this job at all for such little compensation. Some folks have been dutilly working there with dedication and pride for 25 years! I hope they get what they deserve. Many of them say they are anti-union. But you know what? I say we must take care of these people anyway. As I have said....real joy comes from helping people, without reward, even if they are not able to really show their appreciation.

For the record, custodial started the day with THIRTY (30!) hourly workers just sitting there and watching. The company was clearly taken aback and even commented on the positive turn-out. I'm telling y'all....they notice these things!

The 12th was all things attractions. We had about 10 folks just come and watch the proceedings. Let me tell you where our focus was:


We spent a good portion of the day pushing for a select group of attractions to be moved to a much higher labor grade. (16 instead of 3...pays at least 2 bucks more.) These would be thought of as "High-Spieling" attractions and a few major transportation attractions including: KSR, Pangani, Maharajah, Rafiki's, Wildlife, Innoventions presenters and hosts, Land Boats, Speedway, Jungle Cruise, Riverboat, Steam Train, GMR at Studios and Backlot. Different workers from each area made fantastic presentations explaining the above and beyond duties at each of these areas. We also made cases for specific vocal rest periods throughout the day and training classes for voice protection and memorization techniques.

Now then, for those who work at what be considered "high safety/tech attractions", there is something I need you to know. The plan is that we do not feel going for too much at once. We feel that there is a step process to follow so as to not overwhelm the company. We currently have language that dictates Innoventions receiving more money. For now we want to push for similar attractions to receive the same money. We need to see how much they embrace this concept before we can head into true "uncharted waters". Hopefully there will be a day where the company sees a benefit for splitting some "E-ticket" attractions from others so they can "promote" the best workers to those positions, rather than have it all dictated by seniority.

There was new language offered for Cirque ushers, the new Segway Experience (trainer's pay), and Kilimanjaro. This attraction has been such a blessing for us. These workers just joined our union, and they are an amazing group of energized workers....united...and fighting very hard for their rights. Believe me, the company is noticing.

Speaking of which I am so proud of my area. 35 Innoventions cast members took 2 hours out of their own time to hold a special contract meeting. It was amazing to see so many high seniority people show up at 7:30 at night to discuss what we want our work conditions to be. Almost everyone who wasn't still working, or completely off for the day...was there. Union membership is super high...and we too are very united in our efforts, so it was no surprise that our union president took time out of his schedule just to meet with us, so he could represent us based on OUR desires. I with his support led the executives through a discussion about new guidelines for training, audits, transfers, and script requirements.

We insisted there be a set maximum number of spiels a cast member can do before he must have a greeter position or break. No more "round and round" spieling for us!

We feel the company took our proposals very seriously and they will respond over the next two days. Tomorrow we start with new Vacation Planner language which seems to be incredibly necessary.

So....PLEASE stop by anytime tomorrow or Friday. Be there when the company either grants a request or gives an excuse "explaining" why they can't give us what we so richly deserve. Tomorrow we start at 10:30 and Friday we start at 1PM. Again....the Orlando Worldgate Hotel on Maingate Lane. (One block east of Sherboth on 192.)

The company cancelled the meetings on the 20th and 21st. Why, I have no idea. How do we finish all MAJOR negotiations with just the 4 days left scheduled? Again, no idea. PLEASE attend those meetings on the 25th-28th.

I would like to further explore my PLAY IN THE PARK idea on Monday, May 24th. We wear our shirts and walk through the park and go on the attractions. No "union talk", no soliciting. Let's just show our fellow workers we are an upbeat, positve union workforce, thrilled to be working at Disney, and that we are WORTH MORE IN 2004!!!!

Let me know if this idea appeals to you....and PLEASE SEND ME THOSE PARAGRAPHS!!!!!!!!

To let you know with the paragraphs if you wish to send one to me you can PM me with it. I'll make sure it gets to the right place.

I hope you have some interest in these updates...

The company has none.
That has been their catch-phrase so far....."No interest!"

But I'm ahead of myself.
Today was the last of 4 days of negotiations exclusively with our HERE 362 union.

It's hard to go into all details, obviously, and I'm not an expert in the Vacation Planners and Custodial issues. But anything that the company saw as "making a commitment" to the workers was met with a no-interest. If they don't see a loop-hole, or a way to "flexible" out of it, no-interest. And if it would cost them money.....definitely, no-interest.

Custodial folks were very insulted when Deke DeLoach scoffed at some of the difficult equipment they are forced to use. Their job is not just simple garbage disposal and wiping things. He referred to some of their powerful chemicals and equipment as "household tasks". Like he uses this stuff 8 hours a day in his own home. Thank goodness so many Cust. workers were there to hear him.
They shut down any extra pay for human spillage. "No way to track it", he says. Obviously their first assumption was workers could not honestly or effectively report when they had to clean such hazardous messes.

Vacation Planners were told labor upgrades were unlikely because "their job is still the same....or potentially easier since last contract." This was met with great anger and hurt feelings. After well thought out presentations and explanations, the VP's got only minor concessions.
Which brings me to Attractions. After some fantastically well though out presentations from different cast members, any ideas about a labor upgrade were shot down with "no-interest".These were their reasons, as best as I can re-tell:

1. We admit your jobs can be rough...but everyone has a rough job at Disney. No one's job is easy.

2. 3 was the labor grade last contract....your job duties have not changed, therefore, no need for an upgrade.

3. Everyone who works at those attractions like their job, we hear no complaints. And we have no trouble hiring new people into those positions at the current wages. (Translation: there's the door...leave if you want.)

4. You have said nothing to convince us that you deserve more.
The most horrible speech came from a new E.R. person, who just was hired from General Mills in Minnesota. (never worked as a frontline cast member) He went into a speech about how lucky we are that our pension is not frozen and that we have health care. Wages aren't everything.

I responded by talking about salaries as one giant pizza pie. There is a huge pie that represents all wages. (All salried and hourlys get pensions and health care.) But we need to look specifically at how this "wages" pie is divided between executives and hourlys. After all costs and investments are accounted for, there are only wages, and if we are not getting the money, it can only be going to one other place. We feel this pie is very unfairly divided. (Are we even getting one slice?) Then came the fun part when I challenged them to reveal how much they all make as salaries. They weren't "interested" in revealing that either.
You know, I would like to believe that there are those speeches out there about the work we do that would have them increase our value financially. I am hoping that with all these paragraphs people are writing, they will start sending more of the money our way. The thing is....I don't think it's what we say or how we say it.....

IT'S REALLY HOW MANY OF US ARE SAYING IT!

For the record Deke DeLoach is the area manager of Employee Relations at WDW.

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I come to you tonight with only openness and honesty. Today was a very frustrating kind of day at negotiations. The company made a few proposals that left me at times quite angry...but I wish not to sully this update with opinionated hostility or anger....or even with some of my famous sarcasm. I just want share with you the facts and let you respond as you might.

The comany, instead of 11, arrived at 1PM. Steve Eisenhardt started off saying he was impressed with our "We're worth more in 2004" slogan. He wanted to stress that the company had a theme as well, and that was "The Age if Variability." Most of their proposals are based on the premise that another Sept. 11 could happen any day and the company must bargain based on that notion.

So....

They started with new language for management rights. It states that they shall have absolute control over all operation needs and do not wish to bargain with the unions over any of it. They included a clause that states the can establish, re-establish and change scheduling methods whenever they want. They can discharge, subcontract or terminate for any business reason. They also propose that they will follow seniority...unless thay have to deviate away for reasons of availability, dependability, abilities, skill or experience. They could also drop seniority for "the orderly and uninterrupted operation" of the business. We translated all of this to basically mean, "We as the company get to do whatever the $%@%@#$ we want to you and no union can do anything about it."

I was hoping with their "scheduling language" they were going to propose some kind of a new system that could be fair to both sides. Instead, they want to do away with any language that we used to stop the implementation of preferencing. That's what they want, end of story.

They want to do away with Walk Time at Magic Kingdom and put them on Zooming as well.

They want to modify how we use our call-sick free days, meaning more restrictions so not everyone uses them in January. They also want to look at how we bid for vacations.

There were some other points as well, but the one that really had me infuriated was when Steve made the point that because CR's are now union members, we should not have any restrictions on how many hours they work in relation to FT's. We have language now that says it must be a 65% to 35% split. But they want to take all CR's out of that ratio. That would mean CT's and CP's might have limitations, but the company could hire an infinite amount of CR's. I think this means they are clearly bent on running these parks with as many CR's as possible and pushing FT's out.

Another downpoint was when they suggested language specifically forbidding "work slowdowns" along with strikes and "work stoppages". This was based on an accusation made at two shop stewards at Kilimanjaro. These are two folks who have been great, new activists for 362. I believe thay never suggested anything of the sort, and it breaks my heart that the company has suspended them and most likely, try to terminate them.

They also had new language for the grievance procedure that we felt completely leaves shop stewards out of the process and puts all the weight on the business reps.

A little time for editorial. I am convinced that the company has very little interest in any kind of two-way relationship with its workers. They want to us to be restricted in so many ways, but leave the door wide open to do whatever they need to satisfy themselves. I see no offers of committments, or promises, or support. They obviously believe we don't have the power to resist and if we do, there are plenty of people out there to replace us.

What hurts so much is that they seem to do this to the guests as well. Park hours change constantly, and certain attractions get shut down at slow times of year to save money.

But what I notice is that in this "world of variability", there ARE some constants. The price of admission never goes down, neither does the cost of merchandise, parking or food. Also the weekly salary of these executives never goes down. They get the same money......every single week. I wonder why they demand that we take financial hits during these "unstable times" but they wish to go unscathed?

Folks, I hope you are concerned as I. I hope you stand with us and explain to the company that the true success of this business will be the caring and promise to its guests and workers and not how much they can save in the short term future.

We need you to sign the petitions going round stating that your livelihood matters to you.

We need you to email me one paragraph about how you need this company to further support your needs.

We need you to attend negotiations. 5/26 at 2:30 and 5/27 in the morning sometime. (These are at the Ramada Inn at 7470 West 192.)

Further negotiations are on June 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 29 and 30. (I'll report July later.) These are scheduled back at Orlando World Gate.

Lastly, I'm just going to throw this out there and see who supports this idea. I am going to be at the front gate at the DISNEY MGM STUDIOS on JUNE 1ST at 11AM, WEARING MY UNION SHIRT. I plan on going through the park, no soliticing, no protesting, no chanting, just having fun, going on rides, eating lunch and spending a normal day in the park. I hope and pray that a few of you meet me there wearing your shirts as well. We will only do this for a few hours on a few rides. Let's just show fellow cast members that we as "THE UNION" are good people, nice people who just want to make our lives a little better.

Please email me if you can commit to joining me on my quest through the Studios.

I'm sorry if this letter was too long....I value all of you and don't want to shortchange important info just because some folks feel they don't have the patience to do some thorough reading.