An open message to my brothers and sisters of Seaworld,
I am sorry to read what you are going through and want to remind of the value and peace of mind that union membership provides. If you are were union members, your furlough would have had to be negotiated. As a union member, you would have someone championing for your benefits to be maintained, seniority to be maintained, health and safety maintained, and for your questions to get answered. Union membership is about more than negotiating wages it is about providing a contractual set of standards and rules that are transparent and the end of unilateral decisions that leave you guessing. History repeats itself. Protect yourself. Look at how Seaworld employees were treated during this furlough compared to Disney cast members that belong to a union. They kept their health benefits, they are brought back by seniority, they have someone standing up for them. Seaworld, or any company, will tell you that your union dues cannot guarantee wage increases which is a true statement. But your union dues will guarantee you many things including being treated with respect and decency. Decide now what you want your employment at Seaworld to look like, stand up for yourself, organize and file a union petition. Give yourself a collective voice.
19 replies (most recent on top)
Momentum is behind us. There is now interest from BG-Tampa.
Stay strong.
Good things are happening.
Last comment addressed, I believed you missed the point. The prior comment had nothing to do with the validity of unions. It had to do with those separated from the company still holding on to positions that are no longer relevant to them. Potential future union development will have no validity to those who have already been forced away. Yes, it is admirable to put in a days work for a days pay. However, it is almost certain that those who have not returned will ever be reinstated. Those who have returned are exacerbating the situation. They are giving life to a company who neither respects them or rewards their loyalty. There is no reason to sit on the dream of returning when talented individuals can find acceptable work with other worthy employers. If anyone is holding out from trying to succeed elsewhere in hopes to return to SW then they are in their own way. The remaining furloughed were just cogs to SW, ones that were easy enough to discard. So, I reiterate my point; it is undignified for remaining furloughed employees to want to return to a place that has forsaken them. I do hope the actively employed ambassadors find some leverage against the company that enhances their work experience. This is no guarantee that they will want to unionize. However, the entire union situation is futile to those who won't have jobs with the company. That is my point. People are yearning to return to non-existing positions where their devotion to the company was met with a lack of raises, reduction in discretionary time, unduly expensive healthcare options, and a reduction in 401k matching. Even if they were able to return, the formation of a union or the unions abilities are not guaranteed. What it would guarantee is a continued concern about routine layoffs and the additional reduction in available discretionary time that was promised for 2021 on top of what was already taken away at this years outset. I am not for the board members receiving enormous bonuses while the common worker was cast aside. I want the workers to understand their worth and that this company does not deserve them. This is their opportunity to move on and do better for themselves by finding an employer that does not need to be fought for decent benefits but offers them willingly.
To the last comment....WOW...you are really missing the point. This isn’t about furloughs or promotions. It is about being treated with dignity and respect in the workplace. It is about earning a living wage. It is about being more than a cog in the wheel. It is about equal wages for equal work. It is about giving everyone a fair shot. About establishing a set of ground rules (a union contract) so that everyone is on the same team. There is nothing undignified about wanting to go to work and earn an honest wage for a honest day of work. There is nothing undignified about wanting to work in a safe environment. And there is nothing undignified about wanting to be on a level playing field. The people that are playing favorites while earning enormous bonuses are the same people that benefit from organized labor-check out the history of the labor movement-how do you think they get weekends and holidays off? It is a joke to say Unions are the enemy. Unions are only the enemy to those that are afraid of losing their ability to oppress the economically disadvantaged. Keeping others down to benefit themselves.
The hopeful furloughed need to stop embarrassing themselves. Quite pining after an undervalued, unappreciated position with an unsympathetic corporate entity. This whole conversation is about working for a Theme Park. This is not the type of job to get you good pay or benefits. Most of you are expendable (as should be evident) and will never amount to much within this company. Promotions are almost always for yes men who are eager to serve without question or personal dignity. Using Disney as an example is laughable. You would be hard pressed to find more soulless entities as major theme parks who use employee fanaticism to ensure filling the ranks for an unappreciative corporate leadership. Believe that SW would fight unionizing every step of the way. They would definitely cut off the nose to spite the face. Accept that the park will never value you or your talents for their worth. I truly feel for everyone that has been affected by the current situation. I just hope you will come to understand your own value and put it to use somewhere that reciprocates the loyalty and respect you have bestowed upon an unworthy company.
What SeaWorld fails to understand is that your workers can only take so much. Eventually even the most loyal workers (the ones still left after all the lay-offs and furloughs) will turn to a union for support because the Company sure ain't providing any. For the most part SeaWorld employees want to do a great job but everyday you come to work there is a new landmine. SN and SR have made it worse with all the money saving cuts. HR is clueless. The managers are lost. And your employees are doing their best to hang in their. Yeah my take home pay matters but how I am treated at work matters to. Look in the mirror and ask how the Executives, CEO, SN, contributed to this problem. Dismissing us by threatening to close or go under water financially is the attitude that got us here.
Exactly, organizers astroturfing the f out of this place
final dagger in the chest. a union would officially k–l seaworld and you will still be looking for a new job
Whoever this union guy is has it so right. I don't work there but have friends that do. Management (and Ownership) have hung them out to dry; no communication, no plan......just behind closed doors planning and scheming.....just a basic disrespect for their "ambassadors". They have not established a respectful win - win relationship built upon transparency and trust. It is a bunch of Wall St. 1%ers looking to earn a buck on the backs of entry level workers who are trying to get by paycheck to paycheck. The Board of Directors are out of touch with their workforce and it will cost them as SW falls further behind the 2 industry leaders in Orlando. It is a shame, they have a nice product but they have forgotten that the people on the front lines are the ones that make it happen. If I worked there, I would sign up for the union, it would have to be better than the way they are treated today.
You all are so funny. They will just get a third party to do your work. And most of you don't make enough to pay union dues every pay check. You think a union will solve all of your problems with Sea World ? They will find another way to mess with you. For God's sake this company is not worth all the energy you are putting into all this. You are just supposed to use this job as a stepping stone to your real job.
You keep referring to Disney as an example, but this company is nothing like Disney. Just look at a balance sheet, market cap and the diversity of their businesses.
Disney is an iconic destination company, for both tourists and employees alike. Top talent flocks to work there, and make careers out of their roles. Disney also has the benefit, luxury and the expectation of choosing cream of the crop employees.
Seaworld had zero of that. This is a fledgling company on the verge of bankruptcy. Seaworld makes zero effort to attract top talent because they have zero interest in compensating accordingly. This is a company whose revenue just fell 96% last quarter. Good luck trying to be the final nail in the coffin.
Thank you! The last few sentences of your last paragraph actually prove my point.
- With a Union, furloughs are negotiated (proof, Disney)
- With a Union, furloughed employees retain seniority and are brought back in order of seniority (proof Disney)
- With a Union, the park may temporarily close but furloughed employees return to work, it is a matter of when not if. There is no cleaning house (proof:Disney)
- With a Union, you don’t have to go elsewhere to earn a living wage, sick time, or decent health benefits, we negotiate for you (proof: every unionized company in the USA)
- S. I earn my 45k a year salary because I still believe everyone deserves an honest days pay for an honest days work so they can support their family.
What do you do to earn your stock options and bonus?
Whoever’s paying you is wasting their money.
Of course whoever disagrees with you or has any kind of skepticism is namecalled a union busting lawyer and a bully while you present zero substance behind everything you say.
Never mind the fact that clearly you have a vested interest in having a union created, not for the workers, but for yourself, as you admit the dues pay your salaries.
Of course the average person is easily conned, look at who’s currently in the White House, so yeah I’m sure people will drink the kool-aid.
The fact remains that this company is not worth the effort for any reputable union. It’s clearly a dying organization, with a dying business model and with a workforce that had already bled out its most qualified workers. They furloughed most of their tenured workforce, think they’ll blink an eye at temporarily closing a park to furlough everybody else and clean house?
Want better benefits?
Get a job elsewhere.
Unions don’t organize companies “Seaworld”. But nice try union-busting corporate lawyer.
Unions help organize people (members) and engage in collective bargaining on behalf of their members.
For this and the requisite enhanced terms and conditions of employment, members pay dues.
Their dues also help pay for the salaries of people like me to stand up to corporate bullies like yourself and your propaganda machines
vvv I guess they realized what some of us here already knew, unionizing seaworld, where the length of employment is on average 4 months, is worthless.
Unión organizer, I went to the Central Florida Council of Unions. The big 3. And they said they are not interested in organizing SeaWorld. Please advise what has changed?
"If a company struggling due to lack of revenue, adding the additional burden of forcing that company to pay higher wages, benefits, etc, will only further its demise." - If said company keeps making bad decisions that results in furloughing employees and then turning around and paying millions in stocks to executives, it has no business being in business and should go down.
I love how hard the anti-union posters are on here. I would love to hear how they are political as well and I bet that would say a lot about them.
If a company struggling due to lack of revenue, adding the additional burden of forcing that company to pay higher wages, benefits, etc, will only further its demise.
How would you feel if you were forced to purchase your groceries from one store, without pricing competition?
I'm not against unions as they serve a purpose, but they are a business too and need new recruits because this is how THEY GET THEIR REVENUE, FROM YOUR DUES.
THE PROCESS
If you and your coworkers are interested in organizing together, a union will help you build majority support during your campaign. In order to create a viable union that represents what you and your fellow employees wish to gain, it’s best that you lead the campaign and organize yourselves. Once organized a union will provide you with support and guidance. But you and your co-workers need to take the first steps to forming your union. AND YOU NEED TO DO IT WITHOUT TIPPING OFF MANAGEMENT. REMEMBER HR IS MANAGEMENT. HR REPRESENTS THE COMPANY NOT YOU.
Step 1: Talk to your co-workers. Do many of you share the same concerns? Determine your top five or so issues. Is there a common theme such as lack of respect and dignity; no input with management; unfair, arbitrary treatment or favoritism. Are wages and benefits lower at your workplace than what workers are getting in similar jobs in your industry? Write them up on a list.
When talking among yourself about a union, be sure to talk only while you are on breaks, away from work areas, or off company property. Organizing a union is legal and a protected right under the law, but you need to avoid tipping off management as long as possible. If your employer finds out, your road to success will be much more difficult.
Step 2: After determining support for a union exists around key workplace issues, build a committee of co-workers that is representative of your workplace. Building a strong inside organizing committee is critical. Ideally, the number of workers on your committee should be at least 10 percent of the workforce. During this step, a union will give you tips on building majority union support.
Step 3: The “public” phase of your campaign. Through one-on-one discussions with workers in your workplace, evaluate the support that exists for a union around your key issues. Remember, that even though this is the “public” part of your campaign, restrict your discussions about a union to breaks in non-working locations (lunchrooms, bathrooms), or away from company property.
An excellent way to build support for your union is to get workers to sign a public petition supporting the union that states your key issues and goals. But hold off on going “public” with your petition until you have a majority of workers’ signatures. Most employers will launch their campaigns against your union at this stage, if they are not tipped off earlier. When they learn of your campaign, they try to increase fear and conflict in the workplace (see examples below) and blame it on the “union” as if it is some outside organization. Remember, you are the union.
Step 4: How you and your co-workers decide whether you want a union depends on where you work. At most private employers, workers make the choice through elections overseen by the National Labor Relations Board. You get your union if a majority of the workers voting in the election vote for the union.
The employer’s campaign. In most cases, employers will use a variety of tactics to prevent you from organizing a union, many designed to create conflict, divide union supporters, and create an atmosphere of fear. Here are just some of the most widely used (and many illegal) tactics:
Predicting layoffs or plant/office closings if you vote for union representation;
Scaring employees with warnings of strikes or violence;
Intimidating union supporters with unspoken threats of firings and or disciplinary action;
Labeling the union that you and your co-workers are attempting to organize as an “outside” organization or “third party” that will come in and make decisions for you and your co-workers.
Making inaccurate and misleading statements about the union or union dues;
Asking for another chance to improve working conditions:
Strong majority support for a union is the best defense to successfully withstanding the employer’s campaign.
Thanks for the message from the union organizer. We have been waiting for someone who knows what they are doing to tell us how to get going with this process. How do we file the union petition? How many have to sign it? What's the best strategy to get this done?