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Credit: Inside The Magic12,500 Cast Members submitted their votes yesterday as tensions rose high on whether or not a new deal would be reached before the end of the day. After what seems like an eternity, a new deal has been struck between Disney and Cast Member Unions. Let’s find out what this means for Disney Cast Members.
Disney & Cast Member Unions: How It All Started
Contract negotiations began in the fall of 2022 in central Florida when Walt Disney World Resort clashed with Cast Member union workers (Service Trades Council Union) following a delayed sit-down due to Hurricane Ian. Then, again, negotiations for Cast Member pay increase abruptly ended in the early winter of 2022. The talks did pick back up towards the end of the year when Disney Cast Members protested outdoors in front of a Disney Park. However, the Service Trades Council Union negotiations have not been going well, as Disney Cast Members rejected a $1-per-hour pay increase proposed earlier this year.
A New Deal Worth Voting On?
Then, just one week ago, breaking news hit the media streams. Disney and Cast Member Unions had developed a brand new deal that would increase pay for Cast Members effectively immediately after casting their votes in a week. Wyndham Orlando Resort and Conference Center, located in central Florida, is where Cast Members unions and Disney met to reach a new agreement about a pay raise for ALL Cast Member Union workers. The agreement details Disney Cast Members will begin to receive a minimum of $5.50, with the plan to reach $18 per hour by the end of the year. For Cast Members at Disney World making the minimum currently, this contract will provide 36% or more general wage increases over the deal’s life.
New Deal Struck: Higher Pay on the Way for Disney Cast Members
Finally, after a week of waiting and over 500 days of high stress between Disney and Cast Member Unions, a new deal was stamped with Cast Member Unions’ approval. With over 12,500 Cast Members showing up to vote on the new contract, 97% voted to approve.
What Does the New Contract/Deal Include for Disney & Cast Member Unions?
The deal includes a minimum of $17 per hour for new and existing Cast Members, with an increase to $18 per hour by the end of the year for current Cast Members. Not only that, but there will also be annual increases every year while the contract is active, retroactive pay, and all entry-level positions reaching $18 per hour by 2024.
Jeff Vahle, President of Walt Disney World Resort, had this to say about the new contract approval:
“Our Cast Members have always been at the heart of the Walt Disney World experience, and we are thrilled that, with the support of the union, they have overwhelmingly approved this new five-year agreement that significantly increases wages, alongside our leading benefits program that incoudes affordable medical coverage and more. Frontline employees also have access to 100 percent paid tuition for higher education through the Disney Aspire program.”
The new deal, as mentioned above, will span over the next five years. Hopefully, this means Disney and Cast Members will understand that raising prices for Guests and ultimately trying to do new things that constantly fail is not the answer we need. Those Disney Cast Members are the company’s bread and butter; without them, there is no magical place on Earth.