Thousands of Disney workers will no longer go on strike after reaching tentative labor deal
Thousands of workers at Disney's theme parks and resorts in Southern California will no longer go on a planned strike after reaching a tentative labor agreement with the company, according to a union coalition.
Disney Workers Rising, a group that represents 14,000 Disney employees across four unions, announced early Wednesday that they had reached a tentative agreement -- avoiding a strike that 99% of participating union members had approved in a vote days earlier. The workers include candy makers, cashiers, custodians and ride operators among others.
They had entered into negotiations with Disney on April 24 in a fight for fair wages, pay increases based on seniority, a fair attendance policy and safer working conditions at Disneyland, Disney California Adventure Park and the rest of the company's parks, hotels and resorts in California, which are mostly based in Anaheim in Orange County.
It would have been the first strike at Disneyland Resort in 40 years if no deal had been reached and workers went forward with it.
"We have shown Disney that we are the true magic makers of the park and today proves that when workers stand together for what they deserve, we win. We look forward to making our voices heard during the voting process to ratify this contract," Disney Workers Rising's bargaining committee said in a statement from the union coalition.
With contract negotiations for Disney cast members ongoing, the group said it will recommend the new tentative agreement to cast members for them to vote on.
"Cast members have fought hard for the past four months and this tentative agreement would not have been possible without the strength we all showed throughout this process and the unwavering support from guests and community members," the union coalition said in the statement.
Disney's world-famous flagship park said the proposed contract will ensure benefits for both employees and the company.
"We care deeply about the wellbeing of our cast members and are pleased to have reached a tentative agreement with Master Services Council that addresses what matters most to our cast while positioning Disneyland Resort for future growth and job creation," Jessica Good, a spokesperson for Disneyland Resort, said in a statement.
Last week, as labor negotiations were still ongoing, hundreds of Disney employees protested outside Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, demanding fair wages and labor practices while holding signs with slogans like, "Mickey Would Want Fair Pay!" and "Magic Doesn't Pay the Bills."
Details of the deal will only be shared with cast members ahead of a vote planned for July 29, according to Disney Workers Rising. So terms of the tentative agreement will not be released to the public until after cast members have a chance to review it and vote.
Cast members at Disneyland had their contracts expire on June 16 while contracts for the cast at Disney California Adventure Park and Downtown Disney District would expire Sept. 30.
In a prior statement, before the new agreement, the union coalition accused Disney of unfair practices such as intimidating employees. Unionized employees previously filed Unfair Labor Practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board.
"Instead of rewarding our hard work and dedication, Disney is intimidating, surveilling, and unlawfully disciplining members, harming our negotiations and our ability to get the contract we deserve," the bargaining committee said in a previous statement.
The four unions representing the 14,000 workers are Teamsters Local 495, the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM) Local 83, the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 324 and SEIU-United Service Workers West (SEIU-USWW).
