A union representing Disneyland Resort workers reached a tentative contract agreement with the Anaheim theme park and averted the threat of a strike.
The 14,000 employees of Disneyland and other parts of the park, known as cast members, will vote on the contract July 29. Details of the new contract are expected be shared publicly after the vote.
Disneyland is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Co. in Burbank.
The workers, who are part of the Master Services Council and include custodians, ride operators, candy makers, merchandise clerks and more at Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, Downtown Disney and the Disney hotels in Anaheim, had voted on July 19 to authorize their bargaining unit, Disney Workers Rising, to call for a strike if a contract agreement was not reached, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
The Disneyland contract expired last month, while the contracts with workers at California Adventure and Downtown Disney were set to lapse on Sept. 30.
“We achieved our goals – a three-year contract that contains significant wage increases for all cast members, seniority increases and the retention of premiums,” the Disney Workers Rising Bargaining Committee said in a posting at the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 324 website. “We also addressed issues that will make the attendance policy work better for cast members.”
Cast members are represented by the UFCW Local 324, Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers Local 83, SEIU-United Service Workers West and Teamsters Local 495.
“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,” Disneyland Resort spokesperson Jessica Good said in a statement.
But the bargaining committee said that the agreement is only tentative and needs to be approved by the workers.
“We believe this three-year agreement meets our needs and delivers us the wages, seniority increases, premiums and protections we deserve,” the bargaining committee’s posting said.
