Disneyland Labor Unions Representing Over 14,000 Authorize Strike – Here’s How That May Impact Your Visit

A group of labor unions representing 14,000 Disneyland cast members have voted overwhelmingly to support a strike authorization as of late Friday evening.

This doesn't mean that the theme parks are shutting down or that the strike is happening immediately. Negotiations are still ongoing between the two parties as we will detail below.

Here's what you need to know about the current state of the labor negotiations and if you need to make any changes to plans for a visit to the Disneyland Resort.

READ MORE – Over 300 Disneyland Cast Members Hold Union Rally Outside of Disneyland Ahead of Vote

Disneyland Reaches Agreement with Cast Members

Disneyland has reached a tentative agreement with the cast member unions after the unions voted in favor of authorizing a strike. Disney met with the cast member union representatives over the past few days and negotiations were successful to prevent a strike!

The Disneyland cast member union website shared this statement about the agreement:

“We have reached a tentative agreement with Disney. We have fought hard for the past four months and this tentative agreement would not have been possible without the strength we showed this past week with our rally and Unfair Labor Practice vote.

We achieved our goals – a three-year contract that contains significant wage increases for all cast members, seniority increases and the retention of premiums. We also addressed issues that will make the attendance policy work better for cast members.

With personal actions like wearing our union button and signing a petition to massive 1,000-person rallies and worldwide news coverage, we have shown Disney that we are the true magic makers of the park. We stood up to the company’s unfair labor practices and showed them that we were willing to do whatever it took to get the contract we deserved.”

We do not know the details yet of the offer from Disney, the union members will now vote on whether to accept the agreement or not which is likely when the details of the offer will be revealed. But usually if the union leaders accept a deal then it's one they foresee their members also voting to accept.

In a statement to ABC 7, Disney had this to say about the bargaining agreement, “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.”

This is great news not just for Disney and the cast members but for all guests that were planning an upcoming visit to Disneyland.

Disneyland Strike Authorization Vote

Members of the four unions represented voted 99% in favor of a strike authorization in an election held by the Master Services Council.

Disney negotiators and union representatives are now scheduled to meet again on Monday and Tuesday, July 22 and 23.

“A strike is always a last resort, and we have committed to return to the bargaining table Monday and Tuesday prepared to bargain in good faith” the UFCW34, one of the unions represented, wrote in a statement.

“We greatly appreciate the important roles our cast members play in creating memorable experiences for our guests, and we remain committed to reaching an agreement that focuses on what matters most to them while positioning Disneyland Resort for growth and job creation,” Disneyland officials shared with the OC Register. “Master Services Council’s strike authorization is not unusual as part of a negotiations process, and we look forward to continuing discussions at upcoming meetings on Monday, July 22 and Tuesday, July 23.”

The union represents ride operators, store clerks, custodians, candy makers, ticket takers, parking attendants, tram drivers, and other cast members.

There are two contracts at play here. The Disneyland Park contract that covers 9,000 employees expired on June 16 and the Disney California Adventure and Downtown Disney contracts that cover approximately 5,000 employees expire on September 30, according to the OC Register.

Earlier this week, over 300 – later we heard it was even more – cast members and supporters held a rally outside the gates of Disneyland and we wrote more about the causes for the potential strike and the negotiations.

READ MORE – Ever Wonder Where Disney Cast Members Eat and What They Do on Their Breaks?

When could a Disneyland strike happen?

Strike authorization votes are part of the process of union negotiations and this vote does not mean that cast members are going on strike today. The threat of the strike could have more impact than the strike itself. Cast member unions have told them not to walk out at this time and that doing so could lead to them being disciplined or fired.

Both sides still expect that the negotiations this week could be fruitful and that cast members will find a path forward to be paid fairly for the essential work that they do.

However, since the strike authorization vote has been passed a work stoppage could be ordered at any point for the 9,000 Disneyland Park cast members whose contract was not renewed.

Again, from the UFCW34 – “If Disney is not prepared to agree to the offer you deserve after two more days of bargaining, we will move forward with the actions we need to take and that you have overwhelmingly voiced your support for.”

If a strike were to happen, the theme parks and hotels would remain open. We would likely see cast members picketing outside the Harbor Boulevard entrance to the resort. Inside the parks, cast members from other areas would likely be shifted into Disneyland Park in order to staff the locations of those on strike.

Executives and office workers could also be called into the parks to work shifts in the parks in order to keep them open for guests.

Disney California Adventure, the three official hotels, and all food, beverage, and outdoor vending shouldn't be impacted. Entertainment is also not involved in this strike.

Cast Members are an integral part of the Disney theme park experience and any reduction in staffing would impact the guest experience.

We are less than a month away from D23 – The Ultimate Disney Fan Event where Disney Experiences is expected to make big announcements on the future investment for Disneyland and Disney World. We are sure that Disney wants to have this negotiation wrapped up by then so that there are no caveats in that coverage.

There has not been a strike of Disneyland cast members since 1984. In that year it lasted 22 days.

At this time we are in wait-and-see mode for whether a strike could happen and encourage you to approach this situation in the same way.

The photos in this post are from Adrienne Vincent-Pheonix, the co-founder of MousePlanet. She eloquently wrote on the current state of the strikes – “If you are strongly pro-union and refuse to cross a picket line, you’ll need to decide what you’re willing to do in the event of a strike – do you only go to Disney California Adventure, or do you skip the trip entirely? Personally, I’d give this another week before calling my travel agent to make any changes, but this is going to be up to each individual to decide for themselves and their family.”

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