Starting today, unionized Cast Members at Disney World have received a pay raise as part of a previously negotiated deal with the unions. According to Unite HERE, pay raises are now in effect for all positions. The new minimum wage for unionized positions is $14/hr, with many positions above that mark, and all unionized Cast Members will receive at least a $0.75 raise.
It was a day that many were looking forward to, but the looming layoffs have cast a shadow on something that the unions have pointed to as a win for their members. Of course, the pay raise is a win for the Cast Members who will be able to keep their jobs, which is about 70% of the Disney Parks workforce, in total.
As you may know by now, Disney is laying off 28,000 domestic Cast Members in their Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products division. So far, BlogMickey.com has learned of 13,000 layoffs:
- 6,700 non-union Walt Disney World Cast Members (story)
- 2,700 non-union Disneyland Cast Members (story)
- 3,800 union Disneyland Cast Members (story)
We’re still waiting on official counts from the Walt Disney World unions – the very Cast Members who are receiving a pay increase today. It’s also possible that we’ll hear more from Disneyland unions in the coming days as we account for the remaining 15,000 or so Cast Members who have not had documentation filed with their respective state agencies.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!