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Bernie Sanders Just Told Disney How It Could Spend Its Record 'Avengers' Profits and We Couldn't Agree More
30 April 2019
Mark Makela/Getty Images, Disney
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) on Monday called on Disney to share its Avengers: Endgame profits among the workers who labored to make the film an instant success.
The final saga of the Marvel superhero franchise raked in $1.2 billion since opening on Friday, shattering all previous opening weekend records. Sanders also took aim at Disney CEO Bob Iger's astronomical salary.
<p>"What would be truly heroic is if Disney used its profits from Avengers to pay all of its workers a middle class wage," Sanders wrote on Twitter, "instead of paying its CEO Bob Iger $65.6 million – over 1,400 times as much as the average worker at Disney makes."</p><p></p><div id="72213" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="FVCP6G1574873718"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1122950001657827328" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">What would be truly heroic is if Disney used its profits from Avengers to pay all of its workers a middle class wag… https://t.co/W39OoRbNjv</div> — Bernie Sanders (@Bernie Sanders)<a href="https://twitter.com/SenSanders/statuses/1122950001657827328">1556567118.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p><p>Sanders' philosophy that all workers deserve a decent living wage amplifies the importance of tackling income inequality is a hallmark issue of the 2020 presidential race.</p><p></p><div id="59086" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="V53FHZ1574873718"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1122257344228884482" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Bernie has done the exact opposite, supporting Union Strikes, advocating for SS expansion including more money, Adv… https://t.co/leat1HX5Z2</div> — Pepper Oceanna Lewis #JusticeWarrior (@Pepper Oceanna Lewis #JusticeWarrior)<a href="https://twitter.com/PepperOceanna/statuses/1122257344228884482">1556401976.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p><p></p><div id="c622e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="U6Y70C1574873718"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1123196596911529984" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">@SenSanders It a disgrace that we the people have become complacent with our surroundings. The establishment knew e… https://t.co/FW5FcAbbw0</div> — Gabriel (@Gabriel)<a href="https://twitter.com/Gab1022/statuses/1123196596911529984">1556625911.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p><p></p><div id="66a9a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9HX99X1574873718"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1123051019145961473" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">@SenSanders @johncusack Yes! Thank you! 💯</div> — Pam (@Pam)<a href="https://twitter.com/pam_elizondo/statuses/1123051019145961473">1556591202.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p><p></p><div id="87cf3" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="EQHQ3V1574873718"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1122968501898096641" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">@SenSanders True avenging.</div> — beard in progress (@beard in progress)<a href="https://twitter.com/sirbizlow/statuses/1122968501898096641">1556571529.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p><p></p><div id="13f89" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ZBRGSN1574873718"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1122951146186788869" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">@SenSanders Yes!</div> — Brent Says Biji Rojava ✊🏽🌹 (@Brent Says Biji Rojava ✊🏽🌹)<a href="https://twitter.com/BrentLeeFilms/statuses/1122951146186788869">1556567391.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p><p></p><div id="15130" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="XNOJG41574873718"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1122950417594355713" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">@SenSanders This tweet is going to make some centrists mad</div> — Bennie Kingfish (@Bennie Kingfish)<a href="https://twitter.com/_Kingfish_/statuses/1122950417594355713">1556567217.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p><p></p><div id="e146a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="LDGIFC1574873718"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1122962577355628545" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">@SenSanders @BobIgerCEO HOARDERS are sick. They need to WAKE UP and realize they can’t spend all that money in many… https://t.co/ZneRaElju8</div> — brandresults (@brandresults)<a href="https://twitter.com/brandresults/statuses/1122962577355628545">1556570116.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p><p>But not everyone agreed, and an intense debate bloomed on social media over how to balance fair pay with the economic realities of the free market.</p><p><div data-conversation-spotlight=""></div></p><p></p><div id="937e4" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="Q574M91574873719"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1122955638177452032" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">@SenSanders You seem to not understand how the markets work, more specifically how supply and demand in regard to a… https://t.co/ID0FxbYoeA</div> — U’Ark Econ Nerd (@U’Ark Econ Nerd)<a href="https://twitter.com/UARKECONNERD/statuses/1122955638177452032">1556568462.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p><p></p><div id="7964f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="DCMHHH1574873719"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1122970737558609920" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">@SenSanders Iger truly is underpaid, hopefully his stock options make up for it.</div> — David Zamula (@David Zamula)<a href="https://twitter.com/ZamulaDavid/statuses/1122970737558609920">1556572062.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p><p></p><div id="3e8d0" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="K6YHZZ1574873719"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1123049098016432128" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">@SenSanders Yeah, that’s how the market works</div> — Garner Remling 🇺🇸 (@Garner Remling 🇺🇸)<a href="https://twitter.com/Garner63/statuses/1123049098016432128">1556590744.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p><p></p><div id="07544" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="IM8L871574873719"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1123025269399404545" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">@SenSanders Hey, everybody. Profits are GOOD. Profits can be recycled into research and development and innovation… https://t.co/kEYeGfB5n1</div> — PK (@PK)<a href="https://twitter.com/pjk01141969/statuses/1123025269399404545">1556585063.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p><p>Sanders is not the first to call out Disney's pay disparity.</p><p></p><div id="c29c5" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1JUJRH1574873719"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1123010862959271936" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">@SenSanders Didn't the Disney heir tear the company a new one regarding the CEOs salary recently?</div> — Galen Decker (@Galen Decker)<a href="https://twitter.com/gailen_decker/statuses/1123010862959271936">1556581628.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p><p></p><div id="770d5" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="MACPCO1574873719"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1122950921225371650" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">@SenSanders Yes, yes, yes. A thought that has probably never occurred to them. Abigail Disney is appalled by the gr… https://t.co/GrUeTodAuy</div> — Kit Votes Progressive (@Kit Votes Progressive)<a href="https://twitter.com/lovedamitten/statuses/1122950921225371650">1556567337.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p><p>Iger recently came under fire from <a href="https://thesocialedgen.wpengine.com/news/abigail-disney-wage-disparity-twitter-thread/">Abigail Disney</a>, heiress to the company's namesake, who tweeted last week that Iger's "pay ratio" of "over a thousand is insane."</p><p></p><div id="be734" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="GW7G4Q1574873719"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1119985336308912128" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Let me very clear. I like Bob Iger. I do NOT speak for my family but only for myself. Other than owning shares (not… https://t.co/JmSbyQu8My</div> — Abigail Disney (@Abigail Disney)<a href="https://twitter.com/abigaildisney/statuses/1119985336308912128">1555860287.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p><p>Workers "deserve the dignity of a living wage," Disney said, "Should there really be a permanent underclass of desperately poor people who clean up the messes we make?"</p><p></p><div id="a7d29" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="JIZ1951574873720"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1119985364440158208" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">They deserve the dignity of a living wage. Should there really be a permanent underclass of desperately poor people… https://t.co/9Q755Z6zsb</div> — Abigail Disney (@Abigail Disney)<a href="https://twitter.com/abigaildisney/statuses/1119985364440158208">1555860293.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p><p>"A full time worker—at any job— should be able to afford medicine food housing transportation child care and education," Disney insisted. "At a minimum! Do not insult them by implying they are not trying hard enough. If you need beds changed and towels washed, and you are unwilling to do so yourself."</p><p></p><div id="b815c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="37MSZC1574873720"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1119985366692442121" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">A full time worker—at any job— should be able to afford medicine food housing transportation child care and educati… https://t.co/OQcgM44Ak7</div> — Abigail Disney (@Abigail Disney)<a href="https://twitter.com/abigaildisney/statuses/1119985366692442121">1555860294.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p><p>Well said.</p>
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