An employee of Disney, Cynthia “Cyn” Carranza shares finding a “safe spot” for a shady and safe car parking spot as one of her routine chores.
Working as an overnight custodian at Disneyland, Cynthia has to sleep during the day in her car, a difficult decision for anyone living alone with two “pet dogs.” While Cynthia makes $20.65 an hour at the amusement park, renting out an average apartment at $2000 a month can be difficult.
Carranza got emotional as shared her struggles last summer, including the “shower sneaks” at the Disneyland department. She currently stays in a small apartment with her boyfriend who also works for Disneyland.
Carranza exclaimed, “That’s not something that anybody should experience working a full-time job for a company like Disney.”
Cynthia, among the other workers at Disneyland, shares how she had struggled at a workplace which for others is known as the “Happiest Place on Earth.”
10,000 Workers on Strike
The situation has so worsened that as of now, almost 10,000 workers have threatened to go on a massive strike owing to their “poor wages.”
This week, a mass protest and strike were held by more than 100 workers, featuring an array of signs showcasing the “Mickey Mouse” gloves fist in defiance.
The signs were accompanied by slogans like “Mickey Would Want Fair Pay” as they chanted outside Friday.
They voted almost unanimously, days before union contract negotiations are set to resume.
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One in 10 Disneyland Workers Faces “Homelessness”
A contract for the Disneyland members expired in June 2024, and the current negotiations involve an employee union that represents more than 10,000 employees. This included everyone, the characters, shop operators, restaurant operators, and janitorial workers.
As of Union official statistics, 1 out of 10 cast members experienced homelessness. While, an employee survey, states that almost 73 per cent of employees do not earn enough to cover their total expenses.
Disney, Pay Us a “Liveable Wage”
L Slaughter, who plays host at the park, says, “We’re the ones who make the magic. We need Disney to pay us a liveable wage.”
Slaughter survived two years of living in her car while working for Disney and has now bought an apartment which is an hour’s drive from Disney. She used to spend an amount of time finding a good spot to park her car, and sleep, since Disney does not allow its employees to sleep in the parking lot.
She added, “My rent just went up $200 and I won’t be able to make rent again.”
Needs $30.48 Hour To Live
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology built a wage calculator that claims that a person with no children needs to earn $30.48 to afford to live near Disneyland in Orange County.
Disney Says “Committed to Negotiations”
Disney, in a statement, said, “We respect and value our cast members and recognize the important role they play in creating happiness for our guests. We focus on what matters most to our current cast members, help us attract new cast members, and position Disneyland Resort for growth and the creation of more jobs.”
This marks the second massive strike by Disney Employees. The last stroke took place in 1984 and lasted for 22 days.
