It looks like the gates of Disneyland might be closing soon as four cast member unions representing more than 14,000 Disneyland employees has voted to authorize a strike. This represents employees of Disneyland, Disney’s California Adventure, Downtown Disney, and Disneyland’s resort hotels.
Mickey walks down Main Street USA at Disneyland. (Credit: Mortimer Productions)
The unions are reporting a whopping 99% membership vote authorizing the strike. This overwhelming decision could bring the Happiest Place on Earth to a screeching halt.
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News of this historic vote comes just two days removed from a massive demonstration outside the gates of Disneyland where more than 1,000 cast members and their supporters protested what they described as the Disney company’s “unfair labor practices.
Negotiations between Disney and the unions started on April 24th. According to union representatives, they were seeking increased park safety, higher wages, and seniority increases, along with a fair attendance policy. The negotiations have not gone well, with union reps accusing Disney of some underhanded tactics.
“Disney has resorted to unlawful tactics instead of treating the bargaining process with the respect and seriousness it deserves,” the Disney Workers Rising Bargaining Committee said in a statement. “We make Disneyland the place for family vacations, birthdays, celebrations and the magic you find across the resort.
It also added, “But instead of rewarding our hard work and dedication, Disney is intimidating, surveilling and unlawfully disciplining members, harming our negotiations and our ability to get the contract we deserve.”
Mickey Mouse via Disney Parks YouTube
The Disney Workers Rising Bargaining Committee also noted that Disneyland cast members face economic hardship, noting that 64% of Disneyland’s employees pay half their monthly wages on rent. The average rent in the Anaheim area is more than $2,300 for an 847 square foot space with some neighborhoods topping $2,600.
Many Disneyland workers have even admitted to living in their cars.
Radiator Springs at Disneyland Resort’s California Adventure Theme Park
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The contract for Disneyland cast members expired more than a month ago on June 16. The contracts for Downtown Disney and Disney’s California Adventure theme park will expire on September 30.
No official strike date has been scheduled, and Disney negotiators are set to meet with union officials again on July 22 and 23. It should be noted that this vote does not guarantee a strike. It simply authorizes the strike, meaning it could happen at any time. The unions have stated that they are still committed to negotiations. This would be the first Disneyland strike in over 40 years.
Magician Mickey Mouse via Disney Parks YouTube
Disneyland’s entertainment cast members recently unionized in search of safer working conditions. One actress who played the Marvel character Mantis at Disney’s California Adventure reported that her eyes had been dyed gray from the contact lenses she was forced to wear in her role.
Disney has not commented on the vote as of this writing.
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