Unions On Both Coasts Collaborating With Disney On Furlough Plans
As Disney cast members brace themselves for the news that they are being furloughed by the company amidst the COVID-19 crisis, unions on both coasts are working with execs at Disneyland and Walt Disney World to nail down exactly what this means for employees when it comes to areas like healthcare, insurance and more.
Here’s a quick roundup of where we at so far:
Disneyland Resort:
According to a report this afternoon in the Orange County Register, Disneyland has reached an agreement with hourly union employees regarding a furlough beginning on April 19th. The Independent Service association represents Disneyland security employees announced that they had reached an agreement that allows these employees to maintain their health insurance benefits coverage, educational support and additional employee assistance programs.
It was also noted that essential Disneyland security employees will also continue to work through the furlough.
According to the report in the Register, Disney labor relations officials have been meeting with Disneyland’s unions to negotiate to the terms of furloughs for their workers. Nearly 28,0000 of the 31,000 cast members across the two Anaheim theme parks are union members.
With that in mind, we expect to have more news on Disneyland union negotiations as we inch ever closer to April 19th.
Walt Disney World:
According to a report with MyNews13, Disney World reached a deal last night with the union that represents musicians performing at the theme parks.
In a joint statement between Disney and the American Federation of Musicians Local 389 said that both parties “have reached an agreement that will maintain members’ health insurance benefits coverage, educational support and additional employee assistance programs for hourly entertainment musician Cast Members during a temporary furlough effective April 19. This agreement provides an easier return to work when our community recovers from the impact of COVID-19. We are grateful to have worked together in good faith to help our cast members navigate these unprecedented times.”
This is just one of many unions Disney World is in talks with. For instance, the Services Trades Council Union represents 38.000 employees across the four theme parks and hasn’t released an official statement regarding completed negotiations as of yet.
Another union however, Unite Here Central Florida shared an update on its Facebook Page,
“Union leaders continue to meet and negotiate with Disney management on a daily basis. We are working hard to ensure we secure an agreement with Disney that gives cast members the most security and stability possible in a time that has so many uncertainties.”
Disney has a mighty 77,000 employees in the Orlando area. The company has not yet disclosed how many employees will be affected by the furloughs.
This is a story that we’ll be following closely on both coasts. Readers are encouraged to keep following along with MickeyBlog for the latest news and updates.
Sources: Orange County Register, Orlando Sentinel, MyNews13.com