Disneyland cast members who perform as Disney characters and in parades at the theme park in California have announced plans to unionise.
1,700 character actors and parade performers at Disneyland have said they are moving to form a union. These cast members are calling themselves ‘Magic United‘ and are working with the Actors’ Equity Association.
The Actors’ Equity Association union represents 51,000 theatre actors and stage managers across the US, including actors and performers at Walt Disney World in Florida.
Although the majority of Disneyland‘s 35,000 workers already have labour unions, around 1,700 performers and actors do not.
Magic United has started circulating union cards to the cast members this week. The group will seek voluntary recognition for the union from Disney Resort Entertainment if a majority of workers sign the cards.
“Disneyland is a very special place, where cast members create magic that attracts millions of guests every year,” said Actors’ Equity Association president Kate Shindle in a statement.
“Disney workers are openly and powerfully invested in and loyal to the Walt Disney Company and its values, so it’s reasonable for them to expect ‘the happiest place on earth’ to pay them fairly and prioritize their health and safety.
“Unionizing is the collective pathway to ensuring that the magic makers share not only in the happiness, but in the $9.13 billion in quarterly ‘experience’ revenue that Disney announced to its shareholders on 7 February.”
Shindle said the association has “a long and successful bargaining relationship with Disney”, noting its representation of Disney’s Florida-based performers.
1,700 cast members move to form union
“We look forward to extending that work to include these cast members in Anaheim and applaud them for their incredible work on the campaign thus far,” she added.
Magic United’s main demands are higher wages, safe and sanitary workplace conditions, and more transparency in scheduling and rehiring decisions.
In a statement, Magic United’s leaders said it is “time for us to come together as a union, to use our collective power to ensure that the park is a safer, more sustainable place to build careers and share magic with guests from all over the world”.
“We chose Actors’ Equity Association as our union because we’ve seen how well they work with Disney in Florida, on Broadway and on tour,” the statement added.
“Our Walt Disney World colleagues exemplify how you can be pro-Disney and pro-union at the same time. Furthermore, the vast majority of our park colleagues here in Anaheim already have union representation.”
Images courtesy of Disney
