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Credit: Local 737 Union Facebook PageIt’s not a good time for the Walt Disney Company, as protesters, once again made up of Cast Members and allies, march in the streets of Orlando, demanding a raise for employees.
Related: Walt Disney Studios Rejecting Employee’s Rights To Unionize
Disney workers, also known as Cast Members, took to the streets on Thursday outside the Disney University building in Lake Buena Vista, FL. Hundreds of people attended the protest with signs that read, “Disney Workers Need A Raise” and “Magic Doesn’t Pay The Bills.” Several protesters were friends and family of Cast Members who stand with them in solidarity. Most notable among the group was a dazzling Mandalorian waving an LGPTQ+ flag.
The “Rally for a Raise,” as the Local 737 union calls it, comes from a long battle between Walt Disney World and its employees. Disney’s rebuttal was an offer that would give Cast Members 20 dollars an hour in the next three years, but the Cast Members are demanding at least 18 dollars an hour sooner rather than later.
According to union President Matt Hollis, Disney Workers seek a meaningful wage increase that addresses the inflationary market. It’s a demand that many Cast Members have been fighting for over the past few years. Unfortunately, as history shows, it seems as though the Walt Disney Company purposely pays its employees very little in order to increase its profit margin. It is a business, after all.
The company is no stranger to employee outrage, walkouts, protests, and strikes. With the studio being 100 years old, history was bound to repeat itself at least more than once. Even when Walt Disney was still around, artists from the animation department were demanding better pay in the 1940s. And while there has yet to be a documentary on the subject, Disney does briefly expose these true events at the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco.
Related: Cast Members Go Above and Beyond for Guests During Ride Downtime
The shame of it all, Disney wants their Cast Members at the Parks to be polite, sweet, and charming to their Guests. But how can we expect their Cast Members to be in a good mood when their company obviously doesn’t care about them? If Disney could start to provide affordable wages to their staff, then perhaps things at the Parks could begin to look a lot brighter.
The protesters will have to wait for Disney representatives to discuss their demands and come up with a final agreement when talks pick back up next Thursday. Hopefully, the Cast Members get what they deserve.
Would you boycott Disney if it meant the Cast Members would get their demands met? Let us know in the comments below.