Actor’s Equity Rejects Disney World Health And Safety Plan For Performers at the Theme Parks
With COVID-19 cases surging in Florida, Disney World is starting to get a bit of pushback on their plans to reopen this month. Yesterday the news came in that Actor’s Equity, a union that represents stage performers at the theme parks would not reach an agreement with Disney World regarding protocols to keep theme park performers safe upon returning to work.
The main reason the plan was rejected was because it DID NOT include coronavirus testing for theme park employees. Actors Equity notified its members about the rejected proposal through an email that went out it reads, “Disney knows that testing makes for a safer workplace. Why else would Disney agree to testing for film productions? If testing helps keep a film set safe, that is also true for performers in the parks. Despite that, we have not reached an agreement with Disney for testing.”
According to a recent piece in DEADLINE, the email follows last week’s demands by Equity that Walt Disney World include COVID-19 testing as a “fundamental part of maintaining a safe and healthy environment for everyone from guest to cast.”
Mary McColl, executive director of Actors’ Equity Association said in a state released last week,: “It is deeply disturbing that while coronavirus cases in Florida surge, Disney is refusing to provide regular testing to one of the few groups of workers in the park who by the very nature of their jobs, cannot use personal protective equipment. Now is the time for Disney to pause, focus on the science and put the safety of their actors and stage managers first by making regular testing available.”
This statement comes in conjunction with a memo to members saying that testing is now more important than ever with 43,000 new cases of COVID-19 just over the last year.
As the DEADLINE piece tells us, the recommendation for testing comes from Dr. David Michaels, former director of OSHA who was recruited by Equity to advise on health protocols for members during the pandemic.
According to reports, Equity’s leadership hasn’t been conducting Zoom meetings with members during the past week to discuss developments in Orlando. The union is now calling on individual members to take to social media to speak out on the matter, “Please join us on social media and help the public understand that a park without testing is putting performers and patrons alike at risk,” the message states.
Readers are encouraged to keep following along with MickeyBlog for further updates on this story.
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Source: DEADLINE