Once again, employees of the Happiest Place on Earth are attempting to unionize. This time, it’s the hard-working and public-facing face characters, which includes 1,700 performers. These are the people behind the recognizable character meet and greets, parades, hosts, trainers, and other support staff for the characters. (It’s worth noting this is only for Disneyland, as the Walt Disney World performers are already represented by Equity and the Teamsters since 1990.)
This group, which calls themselves “Magic United,” is asking for increased wages, greater transparency on scheduling and rehiring decisions, and for Disney to address concerns about safe and sanitary workplace conditions. You know, pretty standard stuff, especially after a world-wide pandemic.
Magic United is aiming for voluntary recognition from Disney Resort Entertainment, and have begun to circulate union authorization cards.
Unsurprisingly, talks of organizing this group began as pandemic-era restrictions (and the closure of the parks) were lifted, voicing concerns about audience interactions. According to the President of Actors’ Equity, Kate Shindle, the group then approached Actors’ Equity, who obviously has some experience dealing with similar issues.
“There are things that have been explained to me that are issues or concerns at Disneyland that sound very familiar,” Shindle said. “Making sure that costumes are cleaned between the time one person takes them off and another person puts them on is something we deal with all over the place in traditional brick and mortar theaters and outdoor theaters.”
Disney isn’t against this, either. In a released statement, officials for Disneyland were very supportive of the move. “We believe that our Cast Members deserve to have all the facts and the right to a confidential vote that recognizes their individual choices.”
“We chose Actors’ Equity Association as our union because we’ve seen how well they work with Disney in Florida, on Broadway and on tour,” ,” the leaders of Magic United said in a statement. “Our Walt Disney World colleagues exemplify how you can be pro-Disney and pro-union at the same time. Furthermore, the vast majority of our park colleagues here in Anaheim already have union representation. It’s a win/win: when we can speak with a collective voice, we can have a clearer, more productive conversation with our employer. Ultimately this will result in a better experience for all – Cast Members, managers and more importantly, our Guests.”
We’ll let you know how this all turns out.
