Disney CEO slams Bernie Sanders over Disneyland Comments

Bernie Sanders addressed Disneyland, basically calling the Walt Disney Company out for not giving cast members a livable working wage at an Anaheim rally.

Iger clapped back at Sanders in a private FB post stating:

“To Bernie Sanders: We created 11,000 new jobs at Disneyland in the past decade, and our company has created 18,000 in the U.S. in the last five years. How many jobs have you created? What have you contributed to the U.S. economy?” 

Sanders stated at the rally :

“it pays its workers [at the park] so low that many are forced to live in motels, because they can’t afford a decent place to live. Meanwhile, Disney made a record-breaking profit of nearly $3 billion last quarter.”

“Anybody make a living wage working for Disney?” Sanders asked at the Anaheim Convention Center, which is close to Disneyland.

Sanders also attacked Iger’s $46.5 million salary, although he didn’t name the mogul directly. He also accused Disney of “exploiting people in China” by sending work overseas. He said Disney should keep work in the United States.

A Disney Spokesperson stated that Sanders clearly didn't have his facts right.

They went on to say " “The Disneyland Resort generates more than $5.7 billion annually for the local economy, and as the area’s largest employer, has added more than 11,000 jobs over the last decade, a 65% increase,” the spokesman said in a statement. “These numbers don’t take into account our $1 billion expansion to add a ‘Star Wars’-themed land, which will create thousands of additional jobs across multiple sectors.”

In response to Sanders’ comments about Disney laying off 250 IT workers and replacing them with H1-B visas, the spokesman said:

“Here are the facts: We rehired more than 100 people impacted by our Parks IT reorganization, have hired more than 170 other U.S. IT workers roles and are currently recruiting candidates to fill more than 100 IT positions.”