Disneyland employees, whom Disney refers to as cast members, have been participating in a strike authorization vote as contract negotiations with Disney continue.
About 9,500 cast members are eligible to participate in the vote, according to the Los Angeles Times.
It’s important to note that strike authorization votes are common during negotiations, but they don’t guarantee a strike will happen.
Union leaders can decide if cast members will hold a potential strike if the vote passes. If they chose to do so, it would be the first at Disneyland in 40 years.
So, will Disneyland close if cast members decide to hold a strike? It’s unlikely.
“If approved, a strike would affect only a portion of cast members at Disneyland Park. Our Disneyland Resort parks and hotels will remain open and ready to welcome guests if any number of our Disney cast members strike. Disneyland Resort employs over 35,000 cast members, and we are dedicated to the well-being of each one,” a statement on a Disneyland website said.
Since April, union representatives have been negotiating a new contract with Disney, seeking wage increases, safety improvements and more.
The unions involved are the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers Local 83, the Service Employees International Union-United Service Workers West, the Teamsters Local 495 and the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 324.
In May, the union representatives said they filed unfair labor practice charges against Disney on behalf of the 14,000 cast members for “unlawful discipline, intimidation and surveillance of union members exercising their right to wear union buttons at work.”
Disney stated that the buttons, which depicted Mickey’s hand raising a fist, don’t adhere to “the Disney look.”
“Our Disney Look and the costumes worn by our cast members are a critical part of enhancing the experience of our Disney show. As you enter Disneyland Park, the plaque reads, “Here you Leave Today and Enter the World of Yesterday, Tomorrow and Fantasy,” and everything we do to create and protect that environment is intentional,” a Disneyland website said.
“We won’t accept less than what we deserve because we know our value to Disney. The theme parks’ profits come from our hard work making a trip to Disneyland a magical experience for guests,” the Disney Workers Rising Bargaining Committee previously said in a statement.
“By undermining our rights, Disney has only made harder our fight to help our guests and keep our parks safe, which is why we are compelled to take a vote…on whether to authorize a strike after our contract expires.”
The National Labor Relations Board is currently investigating the charges.
The current contract for Disneyland cast members expired on June 16, 2024, and for Disney California Adventure and Downtown Disney cast members, it expires on Sept. 30, 2024.
Disneyland officials have said that they “remain committed to continuing discussions and to reaching an agreement with the Master Services Council that focuses on what matters most to our current cast members, helps us attract new cast, and positions Disneyland Resort for growth and the creation of more jobs.”
The next meeting between Disney and union representatives is scheduled for July 22.
Strike authorization voting results are expected to be released on Saturday.
The latest strike authorization vote comes during Disneyland’s busy summer season and after Disneyland cast members, particularly those who work in the resort’s Characters and Parades departments, announced their intent to unionize in February.