Cast members at Disneyland who work in the Characters and Parades departments have announced plans to unionize with the Actors Equity Association, known as Equity.
Driving the news: The group, called Magic United, is circulating union authorization cards to approximately 1,700 colleagues in the two mentioned departments and will seek voluntary recognition from Disney Resort Entertainment when the majority of the workers have signed.
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- The concerns raised by the proposed union revolve around fair wages, safe and sanitary workplace conditions, and more transparency in scheduling and rehiring decisions.
- Other departments, such as food and beverage, have also unionized at the Disneyland Resort, and Character and Parade cast members at Walt Disney World in Florida have been unionized since the 1980s.
- If Disney declines to acknowledge the union, then Equity will file the authorization cards with the National Labor Relations Board, which will schedule a union recognition election for Cast Members within the Character and Parades departments.
- Employees within the bargaining unit include hosts, trainers, leads, and other roles that contribute to supporting fellow cast members.
