Disneyland Living Wage Ballot Could Be A Job Killer, Chamber Says

ANAHEIM, CA — One of the largest employers in Orange County remains under fire by a union coalition that represents some park workers. Enough signatures were collected to put a ballot measure before Anaheim voters that would require Walt Disney Co. to pay the resort workers a "living wage," it was reported Tuesday.

Eleven labor unions have been pushing for higher wages at Disneyland Resort since February, representing workers at the California Adventure Park and nearby hotels. The coalition says it plans to present a petition with about 20,000 signatures to the Anaheim city clerk's office Tuesday morning, according to a report from the Los Angeles Times.

Todd Ament, chief executive of the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce, called the proposed living wage ordinance a "job killer" that would deter developers from building hotels in the city for fear of having to pay higher wages.

"It definitely will kill some construction projects already planned," said Ament, who added that if the ordinance appears on the ballot, the chamber plans to campaign against it.

In February, Disneyland spokeswoman Suzi Brown told Patch in February that Disneyland's annual average pay for full time hourly workers is $37,000 per year, which is 69.4% above the 2017 California minimum wage of $10.50 per hour. For many cast members at the park, this is a first job or a true part time job, she said.

"The majority of our cast members make above California’s minimum wage and most earn additional income through premiums and overtime," Brown said.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the employee unions launched the drive for signatures after the release of an online survey showed 11-percent of resort employees have had difficulty finding living quarters over the past two years. The survey, conducted by the Economic Roundtable and the Urban And Environmental Policy Institute at Occidental College.

(Read the full survey: Working For The Mouse Below).

"Companies that profit off of our hard-earned tax dollars should pay us decent wages so we don't have to choose between feeding our families and taking them to the doctor," Veronica Chavez, a housekeeper at the Grand Californian Hotel, said in a statement released to the times.

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Disneyland responded to the survey in a statement in February:

“This inaccurate and unscientific survey was paid for by politically motivated labor unions and its results are deliberately distorted and do not reflect how the overwhelming majority of our 30,000 cast members feel about the company. While we recognize that socio-economic challenges exist for many people living in Southern California, we take pride in our employment experience.”

According to Disneyland Resort, wage is just one of the things that makes them a competitive employer.

"We offer a comprehensive package both in terms of wages and benefits, and we pay 75% of the cost of our cast members’ premiums," Brown said.

For many current salaried cast employees, they began with hourly roles at the resort.

"(In 2017), more than 2,200 cast members moved from part-time roles to full time status, and hundreds of hourly cast members were promoted to salaried roles," Brown said. She also added that the majority of the 30,000 cast members at the resort are full-time.

If enough signatures are verified, the measure on the November ballot would ask voters to require Disney and other large Anaheim employers that accept city subsidies to pay workers a minimum of $15 an hour starting Jan. 1, 2019, with salaries rising $1 an hour every Jan. 1 through 2022, The Times reported. Once the wages reach $18 an hour, annual raises would then be tied to the cost of living.

The unions say they are primarily targeting the Disneyland Resort, the city of Anaheim's largest employer because alleging Disney is profiting from millions in taxpayer subsidies while employees struggle to pay their bills.

The largest employer in Anaheim, Disneyland has created over 4,000 jobs in the community over the past five years, and has contributed to many cast member's career advancement, advanced study and upward mobility through the company, Brown said.

In January, the resort announced an education program for our hourly workforce in the U.S. with an initial investment of $50 million up to $25 million in annual funding going forward. Thousands of hourly employees will be eligible and can pursue qualifying higher education or vocational training, including courses unrelated to their current responsibilities at Disney.

"By creating new opportunities for those who wish to continue their education, employees can advance in their current roles or support their long-term career aspirations," Brown said.

ERt Disneyland Final 2-20-2018 (1) by Ashley Ludwig on Scribd

City News Service contributed to this report.

Ashley Ludwig, photo