Not the Pensionland It Used to Be

Author David Koenig (“Mouse Tales: A Behind-the-Ears Look at Disneyland”) sees the move to eliminate Disneyland pensions as part of a long-standing trend at the park.

The company, according to Koenig, wants to discourage young workers from lingering too many years at the Magic Kingdom, costing Disney more in top-level wages and benefits as they raise families and grow old.

“A Disney old-timer told me recently they don’t want people to make a career out of running rides at Disneyland anymore,” Koenig said.

Lennox, the Teamsters official, said he sensed a change for the better in current Disneyland management, characterizing the company negotiators as intent on shoring up employee morale during the latest talks. And the company’s final offer, giving the workers a 10% raise over 3 1/2 years, was resoundingly approved by a 4-to-1 margin by the 3,400 affected employees.

Overall during the 1980s and 1990s, though, wages and benefits have slipped drastically, Koenig said.

“In the ‘60s or ‘70s, if you were chosen to work at the park, your resume was at the top of 10 or 20 or 30,” he said. “Now . . . in my opinion, the average Disneyland employee is not quite the cream of the crop like they were before.”