While Disney Treats Park Workers Like Garbage, Universal Is Rolling out the Red Carpet for Theirs

(AP Photo/John Raoux)

While Disney is showing the world how not to run a business, Universal Studios is showing everyone else how it’s done.

According to Orlando Weekly, Disney World’s workers demanded a pay raise for the labor-intensive job of making the park the experience of a lifetime, especially as the economy has made life much more expensive. Initially, Disney returned with the offer to raise wages by one dollar, a proposal rejected by workers out of hand, and rightly so.

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Disney came back with a second offer, only this one was worse, according to Orlando Weekly:

Less than two weeks after thousands of unionized Disney World workers in Orlando rejected a contract proposal from Disney offering just a $1 pay raise this year for most, the multinational company came back with an even worse offer after one day back at the bargaining table.

“Despite the overwhelming message sent by Cast Members, Disney refused to add even one cent to its wage proposal,” the Service Trades Council Union, a coalition of six labor unions representing 45,000 Disney World employees, shared in an email. “Moreover, Disney’s proposal today reduced retroactive pay for thousands of workers, making today’s proposal even worse than the offer already rejected,” the STCU added.

As YouTuber “Drunk3po” pointed out, Disney decided to throw in a benefit that park employees enjoy, and that benefit was to…spend money at the park.

The Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser was supposed to be a one-of-a-kind experience that made you feel like you were living in the Star Wars universe. The issue is that the demand for this experience is horrifically low and only getting lower, according to Walt Disney World News Today:

We reported last year that demand for Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser was down and Disney was giving away more stays for free. They are sometimes offering just one dinner service, as well as cutting Cast Member hours, because some voyages are only at 25% occupancy. Disney has even canceled some Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser voyages this year and re-scheduled guests for other dates.

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As Drunk3po reported in his video, Disney took the self-serving direction of giving park employees 50 percent off, if they want to do the experience themselves. So, not only are they not getting a raise, Disney is attempting to get employees to put their pay back into the park. Not only does Disney get their money back, but their failing Star Wars experience also gets to look like it has more occupancy.

This is just one more in the mounting failures at Disney, a company that’s soaked itself in leftist politics so much that it attempted to directly fight Florida Governor Ron DeSantis over a parental rights bill, resulting in the loss of its special tax district. Combined with its streaming service, Disney+, losing subscribers at an alarming rate and movies continuing to come up short at the box office, the Magic Kingdom is burning.

(READ: Disney Loses $100 Million on Its Latest Flop Promoting Gay Teen Romance)

Meanwhile, Universal Studios seems to be doing the opposite. As Orlando Weekly reported, Universal Studios Orlando announced on Tuesday that they’d be increasing the minimum wage for workers up to $17 an hour, effective June 4 of this year.

It’s not stopping there, either.

According to WFLA-TV, Universal is adding some serious benefits, from 401K matching to doubled parental leave:

In addition to the pay increase, Universal Orlando announced they’ve elevated its 401K match and tuition reimbursement programs, added compassion leave, doubled parental leave, launched a new employee recognition program, enhanced planning benefits, and even expanded team member comp ticket availability.

WESH stated that the company has also begun upgrading the break areas and back-of-house restrooms.

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While Disney is failing at every turn to entertain and provide, Universal is experiencing a time of success. While there are many factors, much of Disney’s failings can be traced back to its continued, unapologetic embrace of values and politics that many Americans just don’t share. Meanwhile, Universal hasn’t lost sight of the fact that they are an entertainment company and have thusly benefited.

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