Disney’s Bob Iger has joined the camp of business leaders pleading for the end of the recent strikes occurring in the United States. Iger, the chairman and CEO of Disney, has long expressed his desire for the strikes to end as quickly as possible.
The current strikes were officially launched on September 17, 2019, and are spearheaded by labor union Unite Here. The union is advocating for higher wages, better job security, better working conditions, and other demands. Since then, the strike has spread to far-reaching locations such as Honolulu, Anaheim, and New York City, to name a few. All told, thousands of workers have been affected, including workers in the hospitality industry, theme parks, food service, and more.
It’s no surprise that Iger has been vocal about ending the strikes. Disney is one of the largest firms in the hospitality industry and employs nearly 200,000 people around the world. He has called the issue a “divisive and difficult” one, and has put a kind of direct pressure on both the union and his own company to find a resolution.
In most cases, Iger has followed his company’s official line, as Disney has provided a statement in support of what it’s calling a “reasonable” collective bargaining process between the two parties. That said, Iger’s underlying message is clear: He wants the strikes to end quickly.
Of course, it remains to be seen what resolution will be found between the union and Disney. What’s clear, however, is that Iger’s comments have an added weight to them as a business leader and as the head of one of the biggest companies in the world. With his comments, Iger is hoping to bridge the gap between the union’s and Chryssy’s demands to ensure that the strikes end sooner rather than later.
It’s clear that Bob Iger has a vested interest in seeing the strikes resolved quickly and fairly. Even though size and influence, his words still carry weight as both a business leader and head of one of the biggest corporations in the world. Knowing this, he has expressed his desire for the two sides to come to a resolution sooner than later. Only time will tell how this stand-off turns out, but the prospects of resolution seem a little more hopeful with Iger in the camp.
