Wow.....

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/busin...717-story.html



he two boys swivel their heads to where the sound of Donald Duck is coming from, but it’s only ride operator Mike Beaver doing one of his impressions again in the Magic Kingdom.

For a 45-year-old who can’t hide his inner kid, the job brings Beaver great joy as he manages the crowd at Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor with two bubble wands in his pockets.

At the end of his shift, Beaver will board the Lynx 56 Bus back to the motel on U.S. Highway 192 where he’s lived for two years.

Faced with the economic challenges living off his $13.02 an hour, Beaver is watching closely to see if his wages increase as Disney, the country’s largest single-site employer with a payroll of more than $2 billion, is set to begin renegotiating with the park’s largest union group this summer.

“I do have a hard life,” he says, pausing for a moment on his daily commute. “But I don’t think about it.”

Over the years, there have been tight talks and stalemates between Disney and the Service Trades Council Unions, a coalition of six unions that represents about 38,000 employees.

But in 2014, they reached an agreement that raised the minimum wage for employees from $8.03 an hour to $10 by 2016. As part of that contract, both sides agreed to re-open bargaining on employee wages for a 90-day window that could begin as early as July 26.

If they reach a consensus, the current contract extends until 2019. Otherwise, the contract is set to expire in October.

“We’re hopeful we’re able to push Disney,” said Eric Clinton, president of Unite Here Local 362 that represents ride operators, including Beaver. “Our goal is to have a pathway for our members out of poverty.”

Clinton said the unions will announce their wage proposal later this month.

When reached for comment, Disney said it offers overtime and extra shifts for employees as well as other benefits, which includes the company paying about 75 percent of employees’ health care premiums.

“Our strong and compelling employment package inclusive of industry-leading wages, healthcare, on-site childcare along with multiple discount options and more reflects our commitment to our Cast Members,” the company said in a statement. “We value all of their contributions.”

Beaver’s first day at the Magic Kingdom was Nov. 8, 2000, manning the Space Mountain ride. The starting wage, at that time, was $6.35 an hour, according to the union contract.

“I’ve been there 16 years and never transferred out,” said Beaver, who rotates working the attractions and Fast Pass kiosks in Tomorrowland. “I’m here to tell you, I still love it.”

He splits the $250 weekly rent at a Kissimmee motel with his friend, a long-time chef at a Disney resort.

One bright afternoon, the curtains are drawn and a lamp casts a yellowish glow in the cramped room where their possessions cover the desk, a bureau and are stacked on the floor.

Someday, Beaver wants to save enough for his own apartment or a car to replace his red 1989 Pontiac Sunbird that broke down in 2008, forcing him to rely on the bus.

But for now, the motel arrangement on the bus line works.

I'm thankful for a place to live.
— Mike Beaver
“I’m thankful for a place to live,” Beaver said.

On a recent morning, he boards a full bus that’s also carrying a Disney custodian, hotel workers and fast-food employees for the 45-minute ride to the parks before his shift starts.

In his spare time, Beaver plays online poker and dreams of entering the World Series of Poker. He likes hunting for bargains at the flea market.

He never married or had kids — it’s hard enough to get by as a single person on his wages, he said.

Beaver’s life truly revolves around his work, Clinton said.

In 2003, he became a shop steward for Local 362, which he calls being “called to the ministry.” The volunteer job meant advocating for other Disney employees and enforcing the contract.

“I have a purpose,” Beaver said. “I take care of my co-workers.”

Now, he co-chairs a safety committee at Magic Kingdom and serves on Local 362’s 13-member executive board.

“He’s proud of what he’s become,” Clinton said of Beaver, who grew up facing low expectations in a small Dutch town 40 miles from the Iowa state capital.

As a boy, it was hard for Beaver to be ambitious about a future career. He struggled to keep up with his classmates in school. A learning disability placed him into special education.

“A lot of people have looked down on me all my life,” Beaver said.

Beaver’s father, who died of cancer when he was in eighth grade, had wanted to see him graduate high school — a feat Beaver accomplished in 1990 in Pella, Iowa.

“I had something to prove,” he said. “I needed to do it for my dad and I needed to do it for myself.”

College seemed unobtainable, so Beaver worked in fast-food restaurants, working his way up to manager.

There weren’t many opportunities to fall in love or find a good job in his hometown, so he bought a one-way Greyhound bus ticket to Florida in 1993.

“I work at Disney World,” was the first sentence he wrote about himself for his 20th high school reunion newsletter.

“He’s just the salt of the earth,” Clinton said. “It’s not a complicated life, but it’s a hard one. It’s one he struggles with, but he’s also very fulfilled.”
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