Disneyland Slams Disney Heiress’ Criticism Of Its ‘Poor’ Working Conditions
Image via Swedishnomad.com - Alex W / Shutterstock.com
A Disney heiress went to Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California and she did not like what she see.
Abigail Disney—the granddaughter of Walt Disney Company’s co-founder Roy Disney—said she found workers struggling when she visited the park. In an interview with Yahoo News, Disney revealed that she went down to the park after receiving a Facebook message from one of the workers there.
Disney said the employees in the park complained about the working conditions of the place, specifically the low wages that made life difficult. On the episode of Yahoo News’ podcast Through Her Eyes, she revealed that the employees found it hard to “maintain this face of joy and warmth” when they ended up having to “forage for food in other people’s garage.”
She was “so livid” that the company did not respect the workers enough and this didn’t reflect her grandfather’s values when he first started the company. The heiress said that Disney CEO Bob Iger has to revamp the huge wage gap between his salary and the average employee working in Disney. These employees are “entitled to the same dignity and human rights” the same way Iger is, she continued. She told the publication that she wrote Iger a “long email” but received no response from the CEO. In the email, she wanted Iger to reflect how his legacy is able to reflect the world.
The theme park has replied to the criticism, calling Disney’s findings “a gross and unfair characterization of the facts.” A spokesperson of the company told Fast Company that Disney’s public criticism is an “insult” to the employees as well as the company as it has always strived to “enhance the employment experience” by offering multiple benefits and programs. These programs aimed to provide them “opportunity, mobility and well-being.”
An average employee is said to earn US$19.50 per hour, which is above the federal minimum wage. In addition, the company supposedly offers various initiatives that might be beneficial to employees outside of work and these includes subsidized childcare, free college degrees and easy access to pharmacies.
With the above said, the theme park claims it will still continue to improve the lives of its employees and continue to “listen to, empower and reward them” accordingly.
[via USA Today, opening image via Swedishnomad.com - Alex W / Shutterstock.com]
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