Disneyland performers decide to join a union.
Following three days of voting last week, 1,700 character performers and parade participants at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, decided to unite under Actors' Equity Association. This was revealed on Saturday night by the union.
Actors' Equity Association portrayed the outcome as a resounding triumph, with 953 votes in favor of unionization and 258 against it. Back in February, they announced their intentions to unionize and filed for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board in April. The Disneyland resort houses over 21,000 "cast member" employees, with representation by numerous unions for roles such as retail, food service, security, pyrotechnics, and hair and makeup. Characters like Mickey Mouse, Cinderella, Snow White, and Captain Hook had not been considered part of the union until now.
Kate Shindle, president of Actors' Equity Association, expressed how these employees contribute to magical moments for guests. She said, "These workers are on the front lines of the Guest experience; they're the human beings who create lifelong memories when your kids hug a character, or when your family watches a parade roll by the castle." After the union is officially certified, their next step will be to work together to improve health and safety, wages, benefits, working conditions, and job security.
The labor relations board is anticipated to certify the results next week, and once confirmed, contract negotiations with The Walt Disney Company will commence. Equity believes that the negotiation process could take some time but Disney has been "relatively cooperative" so far.
Disneyland Resort spokesperson comments were cautious, stating they wouldn't comment until the election results are confirmed. "Whatever the outcome, we respect that our cast members had the opportunity to have their voices heard," the spokesperson concluded.
Meanwhile, character actors, stunt performers, and singers at Disney World have been a part of the Teamsters since the 1980s. Around 800 cast members at Disney World are now represented by Equity as well.
We've added additional details to the story.
Chris Isidore and Natasha Chen, both from CNN, contributed to this report.
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Source: edition.cnn.com
