Citing alleged unfair labour tactics during contract talks, four unions representing more than 14,000 employees at Disney theme parks and resort businesses in Southern California declared late Friday that members had voted by a large majority to authorise a strike.
The unions said that thousands of employees at Disney-owned hotels, Downtown Disney, Disney California Adventure, and Disneyland had approved a walkout.
The permission does not guarantee a strike will occur right away; a mutually beneficial agreement may be reached to prevent a walkout. In the event that a strike happens, it will be the first at Disneyland in forty years.
Although the number of workers who cast ballots was not disclosed, the unions said that 99% of those who took part voted in favour of authorising a strike.
“The cast members have had enough, as evidenced by this vote!” Disneyland confectioner Aaron Zarate, a member of the workers’ negotiating committee, said in a statement.
The unions mentioned food and housing insecurity, as well as other financial hardships faced by their members. They started haggling on April 24.
A representative for Disneyland Resort, Jessica Good, said that talks are still set for Monday and Tuesday and that a strike authorization is “not unusual” during the negotiating process.
“We greatly appreciate the important roles our cast members play in creating memorable experiences for our guests, and we remain committed to reaching an agreement that focuses on what matters most to them while positioning Disneyland Resort for growth and job creation,” Good said.
Custodians, ride operators, candy makers, and shop clerks at the well-known theme park and resort complex—a cornerstone of Southern California’s tourist economy—are among the workers at the centre of the labour dispute.
On April 24, the labour unions and the massive entertainment company began contract discussions. On June 10, over two months later, Disney employees said that they had brought accusations against the firm for unfair labour practices.
The National Labour Relations Board, an independent government organisation tasked with upholding labour laws, is now looking into the accusations, which pertain to over 675 people.
The Disney Workers Rising Bargaining Committee released a statement prior to the vote stating, “Instead of working with us towards a fair contract, Disney has engaged in multiple instances of conduct we allege are unfair labour practices, including unlawful discipline and intimidation and surveillance of union members exercising their right to wear union buttons at work.”
The negotiating committee said, “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.”
The disputed union buttons feature a white glove lifted in a fist, a la Mickey Mouse.
According to Good, “a critical part of enhancing the experience of our Disney show” is the costumes worn by the cast members.
“A leader would address anything that detracts from the show or story, whether it be an unapproved button, pin, or sticker worn by a cast member,” the spokesperson said.
The financial hardships faced by workers at Disneyland and other big theme parks around the nation have come to the attention of the general public in recent years, according to labour researchers.
For instance, a survey published early in 2018 by the Economic Roundtable, a nonprofit research organisation, and Occidental College scholars revealed that 74% of Disneyland employees were unable to pay their basic monthly costs. Employees who have dealt with homelessness, food insecurity, and other difficulties were polled for the study.
Earlier this year, an internal survey of union members revealed that 28% of Disneyland cast members had experienced food insecurity, 33% had experienced housing insecurity, and 42% had had to miss work due to medical needs due to a lack of sick leave.
64% of cast members are spending more than half of their monthly earnings on rent, according to the unions’ announcement of the permission for a strike.
The workers are represented by four unions: Teamsters Local 495, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 324, Service Employees International Union-United Service Workers West (SEIU-USWW), and Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM) Local 83.
Disneyland cast member contracts ended on June 16. Cast members’ contracts at Downtown Disney and Disney California Adventure end on September 30.
The last time a strike affected Disneyland was in September 1984, when over 2,000 employees took a 22-day leave of absence.
The Disney workers’ negotiating committee said that it is willing to engage in talks on Monday and Tuesday, but it also stated that it has the authority to launch a strike at any moment due to the strike authorization.
