More trouble is brewing in the legendary House of Mouse. Disneyland workers in California will vote within the next ten days on whether or not to authorize a strike. The results are expected to be finalized by July 20th.
Who Will Vote?
The unions involved in this potential strike represent 14,000 cast members at Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, Downtown Disney, and the Disney hotels. Cast members who perform as characters, and dance in the parades, the hosts, leads, and trainers are not involved. Those cast members voted to unionize with the Actors’ Equity Association in May.
Workers involved in this vote include the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers, and Grain Millers (BCTGM); Local 83, the Service Employees International Union-United Service Workers West (SEIU-USWW); the Teamsters Local 495 and the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), Local 324. These represent custodians, ride operators, candy makers, merchandise clerks, and my other park roles.
Negotiations
This strike vote is coming about like so many do, after months of failed negotiations, which began on April 24th. These workers demand fair wages, a fair attendance policy, seniority increases, and safe parks for cast members and guests.
“continued conversations [have been] taking place throughout the last few months,” Disneyland officials said in a statement. ”The official Disneyland Park Master Services Council contract expired on June 16, with Master Services Council declining to enter into a contract extension.”
This failure to reach an agreement resulted in Disney cast members filing unfair labor practice charges against Disney in May. The charges involve more than 675 cast members and are currently being investigated by the National Labor Relations Board.
“Our goal for negotiations has always been to reach an agreement with Disney — one that provides cast members with wages they need to live in Southern California, the respect they deserve for the years they’ve dedicated to the company and an attendance policy that works for everyone while keeping park guests safe,” the Disney Workers Rising Bargaining Committee said in a statement.
Allegations
“But instead of working with us toward a fair contract, Disney has engaged in multiple instances of conduct we allege are unfair labor practices, including unlawful discipline and intimidation and surveillance of union members exercising their right to wear union buttons at work,” the Committee adds. “We know these actions are only an attempt to stop us from exercising our rights and saddle us with a contract that perpetuates the status quo at Disney.”
To give some perspective, a survey of cast members earlier this year reported that:
- 28% of cast members experience food insecurity.
- 33% of cast members experienced housing insecurity in the past year
- 64% of cast members are “rent burdened,” or spending more than half of their monthly paychecks on rent. Most financial institutions suggest that rent should not exceed 30% of someone’s monthly income.
- 42% of cast members had to miss work for medical treatment because they didn’t have enough sick leave.
- 73% of the cast members say “they do not earn enough money to cover basic expenses each month.”
Disneyland’s website lists the starting pay “from $19.90 to $24.15, with many skilled roles exceeding a starting rate of $25 an hour.” An employee working 40 hours a week at $19.90 will only bring in roughly $3,400 monthly. The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Anaheim, CA is $2000 monthly.
“With the next meeting scheduled for July 22,” Disney officials responded. “we remain committed to continuing discussions and to reaching an agreement with the Master Services Council that focuses on what matters most to our current cast members, helps us attract new cast, and positions Disneyland Resort for growth and the creation of more jobs.”
A Turbulent Time
This strike vote comes after the Anaheim City Council gave final approval for a $1.9 billion multi-decade expansion plan, on May 8th. This expansion will add new shopping, dining, and entertainment to the park. It will call not only for more workers, but also puts a bigger strain on existing cast members.
“We won’t accept less than what we deserve because we know our value to Disney,” says the Disney Workers Rising Bargaining Committee. “The theme parks’ profits come from our hard work making a trip to Disneyland a magical experience for guests. By undermining our rights, Disney has only made harder our fight to help our guests and keep our parks safe, which is why we are compelled to take a vote next week on whether to authorize a strike after our contract expired. With this strike authorization vote, we will ensure Disney hears Disneyland’s cast members’ voices.”
The contract expired on June 16th, with the one for Disney California Adventure and Downtown Disney cast members expiring on September 30th.
We will keep you posted on updates about the Disneyland cast negotiations as they develop.
