The Dark Side of Disneyland Paris

[LongTomH]

An Independent UK investigative article reveals some real complaints from employees of the Euro branch of the House of Mouse.

For many of the 14,500 people who work at the site, 20 miles east of the French capital, there is another, less magical side to the Magic Kingdom. "What we sell is something wonderful. We sell smiles. We sell the happiness of children. We all love our jobs, or what our jobs represent," said Hervé Saumade, 37, a maintenance man and union activist at the park. "But in the last few years, there has been a new management approach, which has, in many cases, made our working lives intolerable."

Since the beginning of the year, two Disneyland Paris employees have committed suicide. One of them, Franck, a cook at Disneyland for 10 years, killed himself on the day that he was supposed to return to the park after a long period of sickness. According to his father-in-law, he scratched a message on the wall of his home which read: "Je ne veux pas retourner chez Mickey" (I don't want to work for Mickey any more).

<snip>

The other employee, also a cook, killed himself in February after what one trade union, Force Ouvrière, insists was "humiliating" treatment at work. A Disney staff and management health committee investigation has found no evidence of work harassment. The moderate unions on the site – those most representative of the whole workforce – accuse Force Ouvrière of "exploiting" the two deaths in an attempt to win more support in delegate elections at the park later this year.

Even the moderate unions, however, insist that something has gone desperately wrong behind the scenes in the Magic Kingdom. Over the last five or six years, they say, a younger, mostly French, top management has taken over at Eurodisney, as the parent company is called.

The new management policies have resulted in longer hours and six-day weeks for many employees. Staff has been cut while the number of visitors to the park has increased. There has also been an alarming increase in industrial accidents: 1,500 per year - one accident per each 10 employees.

It's a pity that investigative journalism has almost disappeared in the United States, otherwise we might hear similar complaints from Disneyland and Disneyworld employees here. I would venture to guess conditions in the US are much worse.

[Ron Green]

1. As if there's a bright side to Disneycorp.

[spinbaby]

2. Paradise compared to California

Where working conditions are notoriously miserable and Disney doesn't pay a fraction of what you'd need to live there.

[nosmokes]

3. the mouse is a louse all over this small world after all...

[lunatica]

4. I've never been to Disneyland. Now I never want to go

Stories like these just prove the delusional quality of our lives. We live them as if there's truth in our lives and then along come these stories to show us how full of shit our lives are.

[slackmaster]

5. I know a few artists who used to work for Disney

They called their place of employment "Mauschwitz".

[Not Me]

6. Conditions there are actually better than Disney's US operations

Shorter hours (by law), More vacation (by law) Healthcare (by law) Contribution toward commute, pension (by law).

[abelenkpe]

7. Isn't this a story of every business in that

almost all I know who continue to work are working longer, for less, doing more with fewer people.

Which seems ridiculous considering that there are so many out of work looking for a job. Why not employ more for fewer hours? Wouldn't that make everyone happier and benefit the economy?

[FiveGoodMen]

8. "Why not employ more for fewer hours?"

The purpose of all this unemployment and the shredding of safety nets is to create a new slave class.

"Do whatever I tell you or starve. No one will help you."

That's the point.

Why would they spoil that by helping anyone?

[MrSlayer]

9. One day I will visit that park.

I'd like to hit all of them before I move on to Valhalla.

Why did the guy have to kill himself to stop working there? He could have just quit. Or are you not allowed to quit?

Something is strange about all this.

[iris27]

10. Most US Disney Parks employees aren't union.

I think only the character actors are.

[Not Me]

13. Actually most Disney World employees ARE union,

but it might as well be a company union.

[troubledamerican]

11. Wikipedia: "Dis" = the pit of Hell, alternate name of Lucifer

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dis_(Divine_Comedy)

[Lorien]

12. I've worked for the Mouse in one capacity or another for over 21 years

currently I'm a contract artist for them and they treat me quite well. However, years ago when I worked in house the management did employ a bit of psychological warfare against many of us which eventually drove me to leave full time employment with them (well that, the 80 hour work weeks and the difference in pay rates for male and female workers). However, I know many people who have been with the company 20, 30, 40...even 50 or more years who LOVE Disney and are intensely loyal to the corporation; from mid level managers to stock clerks and set designers. Not every employees experience is horrendous, nor are they all "magical" I guess it just depends on how one fits into the corporate culture. I find that stepping outside of it works just fine for me, so I've stayed with them because of that...but even months without new orders (due to the economy) hasn't tempted me to apply for any full time in house positions with them.


IMHO Capitalism is the disease; symptoms of it can be found in EVERY corporation.