ANAHEIM, Calif. ( AP ) — Disneyland players who help provide Mickey Mouse, Cinderella, and other favorite characters to life at the Southern California beach chose to organise following a three- time voting culminating on Saturday.
The labor union of the Actors ‘ Equity Association said in a statement on Saturday that the group of roughly 1,700 workers ‘ members who voted by a large margin to become the bargaining agent for the parades and characters departments at Disney’s theme parks near Los Angeles voted in favor of the union.
An association website tracking the balloting among cast members indicated passage by 78.7 % ( 953 votes ) in favor and 21.3 % ( 258 votes ) opposed.
Actors ‘ Equity Association President Kate Shindle said in a statement on Saturday night that” they say Disneyland is the place where dreams come true” and that for the Disney Cast members who have worked to form a union, their dream came true.
Shindle called the staff the “front ranges” of the Disneyland visitor experience. The organization and cast members may debate changes to health and safety, salary, benefits, working conditions, and job stability before meeting with Walt Disney Company representatives about negotiating the team priorities into a deal, she said.
The coalition now represents the actors in Disney’s Florida parks.
The National Labor Relations Board’s regional director may certify the results within a year, the organization said, excluding any potential election issues.
The NLRB did not respond to an email from The Associated Press asking for confirmation or more details regarding the ballot right away.
The election took place on Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday in Anaheim, California, after staff earlier this year filed accounts to type the product called” Magic United”.
The parade and character workers who advocated unionizing said they enjoyed assisting in the Disneyland’s wonderful experience but became concerned when they were asked to re-enter hugging employees after returning from work after the coronavirus pandemic. They claimed that they also get hurt from complicated outfits and chaotic schedule.
Most of the more than 35, 000 staff at the Disneyland Resort, including cleaning crew, chemical experts and security personnel, are already in labour unions. The resort includes Disney California Adventure, Disneyland, the Walt Disney Co.’s oldest theme park, as well as Downtown Disney in Anaheim and the shopping and entertainment district Downtown Disney in Anaheim.
Disney has been accused of not paying its Southern California employees, who frequently commute long distances or are crammed into small homes, a livable wage in recent years. Parade performers and character actors earn a base pay of$ 24.15 an hour, up from$ 20 before January, with premiums for different roles.
Union membership has been declining for decades in the United States, but organizations have seen growing public support in recent years as a result of high-profile contract negotiations involving Hollywood studios and hotels in Las Vegas. The NLRB, which protects workers ‘ right to organize, reported more than 2, 500 filings for union representation during the 2023 fiscal year, which was the highest number in eight years.
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, a union that traditionally represents transportation workers, organized the effort to organize character and parade performers in California more than 40 years after those who play Mickey, Goofy, and Donald Duck in Florida.
The Florida performers at the time complained about filthy outfits and child abuse from visitors, including those who would kick the shins of Disney villains like Captain Hook.
