Employees at Disneyland who portray different Disney characters at the theme park are interested in becoming members of the Actor’s Equity Association, which represents everyone from Broadway performers to Los Angeles strippers.
The union wants to represent the 1,700 workers at Disneyland who work in the parades and characters divisions. It claimed to have more than 30% of the support required to register for a representation vote with the National Labor Relations Board, which is in charge of overseeing such elections, following three days of gathering employee signatures on cards. However, it stated that it will not file for such a ballot or ask Disney to voluntarily recognize the union until it gets the backing of at least 60%.
Actors that work at Disney World in Orlando, Florida are already members of a union and have been for a number of years. Additionally, the union claims that up until recently, Disney World performers received higher pay than their Disneyland counterparts.
A minimum hourly rate ranging from $21.30 to $23.00 is paid to performers at Disney World under a union contract that was negotiated last year between a coalition of unions and management, according to the union. Prior to the start of the union organizing push late last year, Disneyland entertainers were paid $20 per hour. The union claims that at the conclusion of the previous year, the minimum wage increased to $24.15 per hour.
However, compared to Orlando, Orange County, California—the location of Disneyland—has a substantially higher cost of living. Data from the Council for Community and Economic Research indicates that Orange County, California has a 50% higher cost of living. The main cause is housing costs, which are more than twice as expensive; however, prices are higher in a number other areas.
More than a dozen unions represent the more than 21,000 Disneyland employees, who the corporation refers to as cast members. These unionized positions range from those in retail and food service to those in security, hair and makeup, and pyrotechnics. However, this does not apply to the entertainers who interact with guests while dressed as Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy.
On July 30, 2022, a crowd assembles prior to the “Festival of Fantasy” parade at Orlando, Florida’s Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom theme park.
“They love working at Disneyland. That doesn’t mean they don’t need enough money to live on,” Actor’s Equity President Kate Shindle told CNN. At 111 years old, the union with 51,000 members is among the oldest American unions that isn’t related to the railroad industry.
She continued, “Everybody recognizes that Disneyland is a special place, “But magic alone doesn’t pay the rent.”
At Disney World, the union already represents a few performers.
Regarding the organizing endeavor, the firm had very little to say.
Disney released a statement saying, “We believe that our cast members deserve to have all the facts and the right to a confidential vote that recognizes their individual choices.”
With ongoing losses in its streaming service, layoffs and other cost-cutting measures, uncertainties regarding the future of its many media businesses, and activist investor Nelson Peltz’s attempt to obtain two seats on the Disney board, Disney has struggled recently.
The company’s domestic parks and experiences division, however, is its most lucrative segment; in the final three months of 2023, it generated sales of $6.3 billion, up 4% from the previous year, and operating income of $2.1 billion, down 2% from the same period the previous year. Over half of the $3.9 billion operational income for the quarter came from that profit.