Most Disneyland cast members who perform as Mickey and Minnie Mouse and dance in parades have voted to unionize with the Actors’ Equity Association.
The union secured a 79 percent majority in a vote overseen by the National Labor Relations Board.
Of the ballots cast, 953 favored unionization, while 258 were against.
The drive to unionize was fueled by cast members’ desire to secure better safety measures.
They also want to improve scheduling and demand a living wage and other workplace benefits.
Kate Shindle, President of the Actors’ Equity Association, said: “They say that Disneyland is ‘the place where dreams come true,’ and for the Disney cast members who have worked to organize a union, their dream came true today.”
A Disneyland spokeswoman said that “it is premature for the company to comment on the results.”
Union leaders celebrated the vote as a significant victory for the workers essential to the Disneyland experience.
Shindle said: “These workers are on the front lines of the guest experience; they’re the human beings who create lifelong memories when your kids hug a character, or when your family watches a parade roll by the castle.”
This unionization effort at Disneyland follows a trend of recent labor organizing in the entertainment industry and among large corporations.
The Writers Guild of America recently reached a tentative contract deal after a strike that halted TV and film production.
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Additionally, a recent unionization attempt by the United Automobile Workers at Mercedes-Benz plants in Alabama was narrowly defeated.
“These workers are on the front lines of the guest experience; they’re the human beings who create lifelong memories when your kids hug a character, or when your family watches a parade roll by the castle”
Starbucks has been discussing creating a framework for labor agreements with its workers’ union.
The Disneyland vote affects 1,700 Anaheim, California workers who play characters, dance in parades, interact with guests, and train performers.
The majority of Disneyland Resort’s workforce is already unionized.
The Actors’ Equity Association also represents performers and stage managers at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, and with Disney Theatrical Group on Broadway and national tours.
If no challenges arise, the National Labor Relations Board will certify the results within a week.
It paves the way for future negotiations to improve conditions for workers and guests at Disneyland Resort.
