Disneyland Character Performers Move to Unionize
The Disneyland Resort Cast Members who bring Disney’s iconic characters to life in the resort’s shows, meet-and-greets, parades, and dining experiences have reached a major milestone in their push towards unionization.
The would-be union, which calls itself Magic United announced today that a supermajority of the eligible 1,700 Cast Members in Disneyland’s Parades and Characters departments have signed a petition to unionize with the Actor’s Equity Organization.
“The Cast Members who bring the Characters and Parades to life have been non-union since Disneyland Resort opened in the 1950s and have watched other workers in the park unionize all around them. Just eight weeks after Equity launched a campaign seeking union authorization cards, we have signatures from a supermajority of those eligible,” said Equity President Kate Shindle.
“These performers, and the Hosts, Leads and Trainers who create magic alongside them, know that their lives – as well as the Guest experience at Disneyland – can be improved through collective bargaining. They deserve a voice in their workplace, and meaningful negotiations over wages, benefits and working conditions.”
The Ball is Now in Disney’s Court
The latest unionization effort at Disneyland comes a year after other unions were able to score big pay raises and better benefits with Disney.
The group notified The Walt Disney Company yesterday, of its intention to unionize and asked that the company grant voluntary recognition.
“Our hope is to keep moving forward in collaboration. We believe improving our collective working conditions will have a direct impact on not only Cast Members’ lives, but the caliber of entertainment we offer at Disneyland Resort,” Cast Members wrote in a letter to Disneyland’s Labor Relations.
“We love the work we do. And we are proud to be a part of one of the greatest legacies in modern entertainment. Magic United invites The Walt Disney Company to voluntarily recognize our union and work with us to enhance an essential aspect of Walt Disney’s vision for his theme park – the transcendent magic of live entertainment.”
If the company does not grant recognition, Magic United will move forward to arrange a union election with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Such an election would likely be held on-site at Disneyland in May or June.
What Cast Members Are Asking For
A spokesperson for Magic United said Cast Members are seeing improvements in safety, scheduling, and benefits in addition to a “living wage” and the opportunity to have a say in their workplace.
Base pay for Parades and Characters Cast Members is $24.15 an hour with different roles having other premiums added on top. Despite the issues they raised, however, Cast Members were clear that they love their jobs.
“Our goal is to make ‘the happiest place on Earth’ a little happier,” said Shindle. “Equity has a very good relationship with Disney. We negotiate with them at Walt Disney World in Orlando, and with Disney Theatricals on Broadway and national tours. We look forward to meeting with their representatives across the bargaining table. And together, making the Disneyland Resort a fairer and safer place to work.”
While Disney Parades and Characters roles are some of the few non-union jobs in Disneyland, their Walt Disney World counterparts have been unionized for decades.