Disneyland Strike Averted After Tentative Deal Is Reached Between Cast Members and Disney

The new employee contract, which was tentatively agreed upon by union leaders and company leadership, will be voted on by Disneyland workers on Monday

Disneyland has avoided a strike after two days of meetings between union leaders representing resort employees and company leadership.

Earlier this week, 99% of union members voted to authorize union leaders to call a strike if negotiations with Disney failed, but on Wednesday, July 24, the two groups tentatively agreed upon a new employee contract for Disneyland workers.

If the strike had occurred, it would've been the resort's first since 1984, when over 2,000 employees at the resort went on strike for 22 days following a series of contract disputes.

"We have shown Disney that we are the true magic makers of the park," the Disney Workers Rising Bargaining Committee — part of the coalition group representing Disneyland's four unions — said in a statement. "Today proves that when workers stand together for what they deserve, we win. We look forward to making our voices heard during the voting process to ratify this contract."

The committee emphasized that although the negotiations — which took place on July 22 and 23 — were promising, union members still need to approve the deal. The details of the agreement are slated to be released later this week, and union workers will vote on whether to approve the contract on Monday, July 29.

“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, " Jessica Good told Variety in a statement.

During the negotiation process, the union coalition — known as the Master Services Council — was seeking to secure a new employee contract that included higher -

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wages to reflect an increased cost of living, heightened safety measures for employees, seniority bonuses and an updated attendance policy. The previous contract expired on June 16.

Another important issue for the union leaders was the dispute surrounding employees wearing union pins depicting Mickey Mouse's raised fist while at work.

After Disneyland employees were allegedly threatened with discipline while wearing the pins, the unions filed charges against Disney with the National Labor Relations Board for unfair labor practices in May.

Union leaders said that Disney could not restrict employees from wearing the buttons as a part of the National Labor Relations Act, whereas Disney viewed the buttons as a violation of the employee dress code.

The conflict eventually lead to the scheduling of the strike authorization vote by the Master Services Council on July 9, which took place the following week.

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Ahead of the meetings earlier this week, Disneyland management said that the strike authorization was a normal part of negotiations, and said that the resort “will remain open and ready to welcome guests," during a potential strike, according to a public statement from the company.

Although the strike would've involved around 9,500 employees at the Disneyland park, workers at the resort's other California properties, such as the neighboring Disney California Adventure park and Disney resort hotels, would not have been affected. At Disneyland itself, some employees, including outdoor food, beverage and entertainment vendors were not included in the potential work stoppage, according to the Orange County Register.

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