Somebody can’t count

You saw this all over the Disney related web on Friday:

Disney hotel workers reject contract proposal by 92 percent

When put that way it sounds like a resounding defeat for the Disney folks and a great triumph for the democracy of the Union. 

Until you read the article a little closer…  Here is the excerpt:

Exactly 1,079 of the current 2,100 rank-and-file union members that wash dishes, clean rooms and wait tables at the three Disney-owned hotels in the resort voted on the contract proposal at the Disneyland Hotel, said Unite Here 11 President Tom Walsh.

So read that closely: what it really says is 92% of the 51.38% of the 2,100 union members who did vote, didn’t vote for the current proposal. 

The Union did have a simple majority (as defined by more than 50%), but not a super majority (typically 75%).  What is required is probably set by the Union in accordance with the Union’s charter and rules.

I’m all for the Union doing it’s best to defend and improve the lives of its members.  I come from a mid-west pro-union family myself.  The Union has the right to negotiate on behalf of its workers to make sure they get the best benefit from working for Disney that they can.  Disney on the other hand of course has the right to want to control costs and keep this contract in line with other contracts, etc. etc. 

What I’m not for are one sided discussions when the facts in the rest of the article don’t support the title.