1 year ago
22
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Disneyland performers who assistance bring Mickey Mouse, Cinderella and different beloved characters to beingness astatine the Southern California edifice chose to unionize pursuing a three-day ballot culminating connected Saturday.
The Actors' Equity Association labour national said successful a connection Saturday that formed members for the parades and characters departments astatine Disney's taxable parks adjacent Los Angeles voted by a wide borderline for the national to go the bargaining cause for the radical of astir 1,700 workers.
An relation website tracking the balloting among formed members indicated transition by 78.7% (953 votes) successful favour and 21.3% (258 votes) opposed.
"They accidental that Disneyland is 'the spot wherever dreams travel true,' and for the Disney Cast Members who person worked to signifier a union, their imagination came existent today," Actors' Equity Association President Kate Shindle said successful a connection Saturday night.
Shindle called the workers the "front lines" of the Disneyland impermanent experience. The relation and formed members volition sermon improvements to wellness and safey, wages, benefits, moving conditions and occupation information earlier gathering with Walt Disney Company representatives astir negotiating the unit priorities into a contract, she said.
The national already represents theatrical performers astatine Disney's Florida parks.
Barring immoderate predetermination challenges, the determination manager of The National Labor Relations Board volition certify the results wrong a week, the relation said.
The NLRB did not instantly respond to an email from The Associated Press seeking confirmation oregon further accusation astir the vote.
The predetermination took spot connected Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday successful Anaheim, California, aft workers earlier this twelvemonth filed cards to signifier the portion called "Magic United."
Parade and quality workers who promoted unionizing said they emotion helping to make a magical acquisition astatine Disneyland but grew acrophobic erstwhile they were asked to resume hugging visitors aft returning to enactment during the coronavirus pandemic. They said they besides endure injuries from analyzable costumes and erratic schedules.
Most of the much than 35,000 workers astatine the Disneyland Resort, including cleaning crews, pyrotechnic specialists and information staff, are already successful labour unions. The edifice includes Disneyland, which is the Walt Disney Co.'s oldest taxable park, arsenic good arsenic Disney California Adventure and the buying and amusement territory Downtown Disney successful Anaheim.
In caller years, Disney has faced allegations of not paying its Southern California workers, who look exorbitant lodging costs and often commute agelong distances oregon cram into tiny homes, a livable wage. Parade performers and quality actors gain a basal wage of $24.15 an hour, up from $20 earlier January, with premiums for antithetic roles.
Union rank has been connected a decades-long diminution successful the United States, but organizations person seen increasing nationalist enactment successful caller years during high-profile declaration negotiations involving Hollywood studios and Las Vegas hotels. The NLRB, which protects workers' close to organize, reported much than 2,500 filings for national practice during the 2023 fiscal year, which was the highest fig successful 8 years.
The effort to signifier quality and parade performers successful California came much than 40 years aft those who play Mickey, Goofy and Donald Duck successful Florida were organized by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, a national traditionally known to correspond proscription workers.
At that time, the Florida performers complained astir filthy costumes and maltreatment from guests, including children who would footwear the shins of Disney villains specified arsenic Captain Hook.
The Walt Disney Company is the genitor institution of this station.
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