Back in February, Bob Iger announced that the Walt Disney Company would undergo a restructuring, causing $5.5 billion in spending cuts. As a part of this overhaul, 7,000 job cuts went into motion, and many lost their jobs in the following months.
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It set the local minimum wage at $19.40 for 2023. The lawsuit cited several workers who were paid $12 per hour. Disney argued that it was not covered under the local rule because it didn't receive a city subsidy or rebate.
Employees are calling for better working conditions and higher wages to account for inflation. The first strike took place on 23 May and saw 500 “cast members” walk out on the job, out of 17,000 total employees at the park.
The layoffs are part of Disney's cost-saving measures that will create a streamlined approach to our business, he wrote. Company officials said in a conference call last month that the job cuts, which represent roughly 3% of Disney's global workforce of 220,000, will save Disney roughly $5.5 billion.
Many Cast Members were laid off during park closures, and while some were called back to work, others lost their jobs permanently. This staggering two-year drop in employment led to Disney's smallest reported workforce since 2015. The significant staff shortages were felt by guests since parks reopened.
Low Wages & Subpar BenefitsEven after successful union negotiations, employee benefits are no longer enough for Disney's low-wage workers to survive—many live paycheck-to-paycheck, viewing retirement as an impossible dream.
Disney Completes 7,000 Job CutsThe company still has plans to eliminate more roles internationally over a period of time, according to a source close to the situation, but Disney has now concluded the benchmark it set in February, soon after Iger's return as CEO upon the ousting of Bob Chapek.
Disney began its second, larger wave of layoffs Monday, bringing total job cuts in recent weeks to 4,000 when the latest round is completed. Earlier this year, Disney said it would slash 7,000 jobs from its workforce as part of a larger reorganization of the company that will see it cut costs by $5.5 billion.
The three words that Disney employees are trained not to say are “I don't know.” “If a guest asks you a question, you always have to have an answer, no exceptions,” an anonymous former Cast Member shared online. “If you don't know it, find out, but don't say you don't know.
Meanwhile, travel agents have pointed to higher ticket prices as a major factor in declining theme park attendance. On top of that, trips to Europe appear to be cannibalizing demand for domestic theme parks this year — likely both contributing to the downturn.