Report finds Disneyland employees struggle to make ends meet

More than 70 percent of workers say they don't earn enough to pay basic expenses.

By Sanika Bhargaw

A new report by researchers at Occidental College and the Economic Roundtable found that many Disneyland employees struggle to pay basic expenses. Employees also experience food insecurity, homelessness and difficulty accessing affordable healthcare and childcare. Disney denied the findings and also questioned the reliability of the report, claiming the employees surveyed did not accurately represent what all park employees felt.

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ARTEMIS BELL HAS WORKED AT DISNEYLAND FOR SEVEN YEARS.

((SOT Artemis Bell, Overnight Custodian)
I work overnight custodial.

AND SHE LIKES HER JOB.

((SOT Artemis Bell)
I like walking into the park at the end of my day, the beginning of everybody else's knowing that the guests are walking into a sparkling, pristine park // I like knowing that I was a part of that.

BUT BELL AND SEVERAL OTHER DISNEY EMPLOYEES SAY THEY'RE NOT GETTING WHAT THEY DESERVE.

((SOT Artemis Bell))
I have enough money for either a place to live or for a vehicle and I've always chosen a place to live // So it's always meant that I had to choose not paying something else in order to pay the apartment.

THE REPORT RELEASED YESTERDAY BY OCCIDENTAL COLLEGE AND THE ECONOMIC ROUNDTABLE FOUND THAT MANY DISNEY EMPLOYEES REPORT HOMELESSNESS, FOOD INSECURITY, LONG COMMUTES AND LOW WAGES.

((SOT Daniel Flaming))
The average hourly wage for Disneyland employees has dropped 15 percent from 15 dollars and 80 cents to 13 dollars and 36 cents.

BUT DISNEY SAYS THE NUMBERS IN THE REPORT AREN'T ACCURATE. DISNEY SPOKESPERSON SUZI BROWN SAID THE FIVE THOUSAND EMPLOYEES SURVEYED DON'T REPRESENT THE 30,000 WORKERS AT THE PARK.

IN A STATEMENT, BROWN SAID QUOTE "THIS INACCURATE AND UNSCIENTIFIC SURVEY WAS PAID FOR BY POLITICALLY MOTIVATED LABOR UNIONS AND ITS RESULTS ARE DELIBERATELY DISTORTED."

BUT BELL THINKS DISNEY CAN DO MORE FOR ITS WORKERS.

((SOT ARTEMIS BELL)
One of the most profitable companies in the world really doesn't have an excuse to be underpaying people who, without us, I don't think they could function properly.

BELL HOPES THAT SHARING HER STORY WILL HELP BRING ABOUT CHANGE FOR ALL DISNEY EMPLOYEES. FOR ANNENBERG MEDIA, I'M SANIKA BHARGAW.