“For months hard-working cast members have stood together at the bargaining table and in the parks to ensure Disney recognized what they bring to the theme park experience, and these contracts are a concrete and direct result of this tireless work,” the bargaining committee for Disney Workers Rising, the group of four unions that represent the contract’s cast members, said in a statement following the vote.
“Together by wearing buttons, attending rallies and telling their stories to the public, cast members fought for a more promising future for themselves, their fellow cast members, and their families,” it said.
The union members, which include custodians, ride operators, candy makers, merchandise clerks, and workers who facilitate parking and resort transportation, work at Disneyland Resort’s two theme parks (Disneyland and Disney California Adventure) or in roles at nearby Downtown Disney or the company’s three hotels in Anaheim, Calif.
Disneyland Resort spokesperson Jessica Good said in an emailed statement that the company is “pleased that our cast members approved the new agreements, which, along with all we offer as part of our employment experience, demonstrate how much we value them and our profound commitment to their overall well-being.”
Contract negotiations began in late April, as the union conglomerate (also known as the Master Services Council) sought wage increases, changes to the attendance policy and seniority increases.
The parties were unable to reach an agreement before the previous Disneyland park contract expired, in mid-June. (The Disney California Adventure and Downtown Disney contract doesn’t expire until Sept. 30.) The council accused Disney of deploying unfair labor practices during the bargaining process, alleging that hundreds of cast members were “intimidated, surveilled, and disciplined for wearing union buttons in support of their contract campaign.”
Earlier this month, union members rallied for higher wages and fair-labor practices just outside the resort on Disneyland’s 69th anniversary. Days later, they voted 99 percent in favor of authorizing a strike in the event that Disney Workers Rising deemed one necessary.
Last week, after three months of bargaining, Disneyland Resort and Disney Workers Rising reached a tentative agreement, allaying fears of a walkout.
“We care deeply about the well-being of our cast members and are pleased to have reached a tentative agreement with Master Services Council that addresses what matters most to our cast while positioning Disneyland Resort for future growth and job creation,” Disneyland Resort said in a statement last week.
Now that the new contract has been freshly approved by union members, they won’t go on strike, and park operations will remain the same. A work stoppage would have been disastrous for the company and the rest of the theme park industry, according to Dennis Speigel, founder and chief executive of the global consulting organization International Theme Park Services. The last Disneyland strike lasted 22 days in 1984.
The four unions involved in Disney Workers Rising are the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers Local 83; Service Employees International Union-United Service Workers West; Teamsters Local 495; and the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 324.
“Cast members have fought hard,” the Disney Workers Rising bargaining committee said in a statement last week. “ … We have shown Disney that we are the true magic makers of the park and today proves that when workers stand together for what they deserve, we win.”
