Actors at Disneyland who carry out as Mickey and Minnie Mouse, in addition to different costumed characters on the California theme park, stated Tuesday they’re shifting to kind a union.
Calling themselves “Magic United,” the forged members looking for to prepare introduced they’re working with Actors’ Fairness Affiliation, a union representing 51,000 theater actors and stage managers throughout the U.S. Though many of the roughly 35,000 staff at Disneyland have already got labor unions, about 1,700 performers and character actors don’t, the labor group stated.
The hassle is in its early levels, with organizers having solely simply begun circulating union playing cards to the forged members this week, in line with Actors’ Fairness. If a majority of staff signal the playing cards, the group plans to hunt voluntary recognition for the union from Disney Resort Leisure, which oversees Disneyland.
“Disneyland is a really particular place, the place forged members create magic that draws tens of millions of friends yearly,” Actors’ Fairness Affiliation President Kate Shindle stated in an announcement, noting that the union already represents performers at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. “Disney staff are overtly and powerfully invested in and constant to the Walt Disney Firm and its values, so it is affordable for them to anticipate ‘the happiest place on earth’ to pay them pretty and prioritize their well being and security.”
Magic United’s foremost calls for embody larger pay, a protected and sanitary office, and transparency in scheduling and rehiring, in line with the group.
Disney operates two theme parks — Disneyland and Disney California Journey — and a buying and leisure space referred to as Downtown Disney in Anaheim. Disneyland, the corporate’s oldest park, was the second-most visited theme park worldwide in 2022 with 16.8 million individuals coming by way of the gates, in line with a report by the Themed Leisure Affiliation and AECOM.
Disneyland officers stated in an announcement that they imagine forged members deserve the appropriate to a confidential vote.
—The Related Press contributed to this report.
