Gov. Vetoes Bill That May Give Laid Off CMs a Chance at Their Jobs Again - Inside the Magic

News surrounding the layoffs of 28,000 U.S. Disney Cast Members continues to surface, and tensions continue to rise. In a new update, we have learned that California Governor Gavin Newsom has vetoed AB 3216, a bill that could have given laid off Cast Members and other hospitality workers a chance at their jobs again.

“Introduced by Assembly member Ash Kalra, AB 3216, or ‘Right to recall,’ allows travel and hospitality employees — laid off due to the pandemic — to be given preferential treatment once rehiring commences,” according to the Hollywood Reporter. Essentially, the bill would allow thousands of laid off Disneyland Resort Cast Members preferential treatment during the rehiring process, once Disney is rehiring again.

Read More: Disneyland Cast Members Caravan to State Capitol

Many Cast Members and their unions were in support of this bill, as, on paper, it sounds like it can provide some hope and opportunity for those employees who were part of the 28,000 layoffs announced for U.S. Disney Parks and Resorts this week. A Union even shared that some Disneyland Resort Cast Members caravanned to the state capitol yesterday to urge Newsom to sign the bill.

“Our members have given decades of their lives to companies like Disney. Now through no fault of their own, they are being laid off. We urge Gov. Gavin Newson to sign AB 3216 a lifeline for hospitality workers,” Ada Briceño, Chair of the Democratic Party of Orange County and co-president of UNITE HERE Local 11, said in an emailed statement, according to THR.

Related: California Unions Provide More Details on Disneyland Layoffs

But as of last night, we know that Newsom and these Disney theme park CMs and unions weren’t on the same page. The governor vetoed AB 3216, a bill that would not only have helped laid off Disneyland workers, but hospitality workers across California who have been laid off as a result of the pandemic.

UNITE HERE Local 11 released the following statement after the veto was announced:

AB 3216 would simply have allowed hospitality workers to return to their jobs as the industry reopens. This veto is devastating to the low wage workers who built the hospitality industry, especially women of color, who were looking for a leader to walk with them through this time of struggle. The most powerful elected Democrat in the state sided with the wealthy hotel owners of the Terranea Resort and Chateau Marmont instead of hardworking hotel workers. The pain for immigrant workers is compounded by the Governor’s additional vetoes of AB 826 (emergency food assistance to immigrants) and SB 1257 (workplace safety protections for domestic workers). Our families and communities lose with the combined impact of these actions. We are thankful to all of the Democratic legislators who stood with the working poor and supported these essential protections.

The housekeepers, dishwashers, and cooks who led this fight are committed to upholding our democracy. Workers are already on their way to join their brothers and sisters to walk door to door in searing heat of Arizona to save democracy by electing Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Our commitment to our values and our vision stands strong. When we’re done getting out the vote for this election, we’ll return and fight to make it right for California workers, even if it’s hard to imagine how in this moment of heartache.

Ada Briceño, co-president
Susan Minato, co-president
Kurt Petersen, co-president

Governor @GavinNewsom vetoed #AB3216, a bill that would have granted workers laid off during #COVID19 a right to return to their old jobs when business reopens. Click now to tell the governor you disapprove of his decision. https://t.co/YubcExBjiP

— UNITE HERE Local 11 (@UNITEHERE11) October 2, 2020

We will share more updates regarding Disneyland Resort Cast Member layoffs as they become available. If you want to help Disney Cast Members during this time, click here.