Disneyland workers cast ballots in strike authorization vote

While working at Disneyland last summer, Cyn Carranza lived in her car with her dog and showered on resort property.

As recently as this spring, the 39-year-old custodian scrubbed, waxed and buffed floors inside the theme park from 11:45 p.m. to 7:55 a.m. before working a 9 a.m.-to-2 p.m. shift at a nearby Goodwill and struggling to stay awake on the freeway.

Carranza, who now resides with her boyfriend in Santa Ana, has been employed by Disney for nearly six years. She makes the minimum wage for hospitality workers in Anaheim, $19.90 an hour.

“It’s so expensive here,” Carranza said. “I was homeless because I had three jobs, and I still couldn’t afford any place to live.”

Carranza is among roughly 9,500 workers at Disneyland who are eligible to participate this week in a strike authorization vote as they continue to bargain with Disney for higher wages and improved working conditions. Results of the vote are expected to be announced Saturday.

If the authorization passes, union leaders will have the option to call a strike in the event that they are unable to negotiate a new contract deal with Disney.

“We’re not ungrateful,” Carranza said. “We just wish that they would make it easier for us to be there — that they would consider us. … The union is moving closer to striking because this is all we got. We gotta come together and let them know.”

The Master Services Council — an alliance of labor unions representing custodians, ride operators, candy makers, merchandise clerks and other employees at the Anaheim theme park — scheduled the strike vote last week.

Disneyland employees haven’t staged a major walkout since 1984. That work stoppage lasted 22 days. The Disneyland employee contract terminated June 16, while the California Adventure and Downtown Disney agreements are set to expire Sept. 30.

“It’s the first time in 40 years, and also it’s a coalition of unions, so it’s a potential for being a huge strike,” said Victor Narro, project director and labor studies professor at the UCLA Labor Center.

“Post-pandemic, [the tourism] industry has recuperated, is thriving in significant ways. But working conditions … have not improved at all.”

A strike authorization vote “is not unusual as part of the negotiations process and does not indicate a strike is imminent or underway,” company spokesperson Jessica Good said in a statement posted on the Disneyland website.

“We have a long-standing history of successful negotiations with the Master Services Council with our next meeting scheduled for July 22. We remain focused on reaching an agreement on a new contract that is fair and equitable for our cast members.”

The website also notes that all Disneyland Resort parks and hotels “will remain open and ready to welcome guests if any number” of employees walk off the job.

Tensions escalated in June when the unions filed unfair labor practice charges against the company with the National Labor Relations Board for allegedly threatening to discipline hundreds of employees who wore union buttons depicting Mickey Mouse’s raised fist to work.

The Master Services Council maintains that wearing the pins is a protected form of union activity and that Disney cannot legally take action against staffers for doing so. Disney contends that the buttons violate the employee dress code and that only “a handful” of repeat incidents have led to disciplinary action, starting with a verbal warning.

Disneyland Resort employees have affixed the buttons to their uniforms in a show of solidarity amid their contract negotiations with the company, which began in late April.

Some 14,000 workers at Disneyland, Disney California Adventure and Downtown Disney are seeking wage increases to keep up with the cost of living in Southern California and reward senior employees, as well as stronger safety measures and changes to Disney’s attendance policy.

On Wednesday, more than 400 Disneyland Resort staffers rallied outside the main entrance to Disneyland with picket signs bearing phrases such as, “Disney, don’t be the villain” and “Mickey would want fair pay.”

“With today’s rally, we continue to be focused on the wellbeing of our guests and cast members,” Good said in a statement posted on the Disneyland website.

“We remain committed to … reaching an agreement with Master Services that focuses on what matters most to cast members, positions Disneyland Resort for growth and job creation and enables us to continue delivering incredible guest experiences.”

Disneyland Resort employees rally outside the main entrance to Disneyland in Anaheim.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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A key tactic in the unions’ playbook has been engaging with resort guests. This month, workers distributed the forbidden Mickey buttons to park patrons and encouraged them to sign a petition endorsing the unions’ campaign. The petition has amassed more than 10,000 signatures, according to the Master Services Council.

“In this industry …. tourists can be a major source of support for the union to put pressure on the employer,” Narro said. “I think that’s an excellent strategy.”

Ellie Gonzalez, a custodian at California Adventure, said she gets “a lot of compliments” on her union button from guests who approach her with “love and respect.”

“They love my button, and they know what it means,” Gonzalez said. “I’m so appreciative and thankful for that.”

Gonzalez and other workers have expressed frustration with Disneyland Resort management for moving forward with a $1.9-billion expansion while park staffers are seeking higher pay.

“I’m pregnant with twins, so finances is definitely a stressful point for me,” Gonzalez said.