Disney Cast Members Announce Official Unionization for Safer, Fairer Work Conditions

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Disneyland cast members unionizing in front of the Sleeping Beauty castle inside Disneyland Park.

Credit: Inside The Magic

A large group of Disneyland cast members made a huge announcement just moments ago, officially launching a website detailing their official unionizing efforts. Here are the latest details.

Mickey Mouse holding a bag of money inside of Disneyland Resort in California.
Credit: Inside The Magic

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Disneyland Cast Members Announce Unionization

A collective of Disneyland Cast Members, specifically those employed in the resort’s Characters and Parades departments, disclosed their decision today to pursue unionization under the banner of the Actors’ Equity Association. Operating under “Magic United,” the group aims to formalize its representation and advocate for their interests within employment conditions, benefits, and workplace rights. This move reflects their commitment to fostering solidarity and ensuring a unified voice addressing pertinent issues affecting their roles and the broader Disneyland community.

According to the official new website, dubbed magicunited.org, here is an official announcement and explanation of their intent to unionize:

Disneyland Resort Cast Members dedicate ourselves to making the Parks a place where every guest can create lifelong memories. We deserve a union to ensure that Disneyland is a fairer, safer place to work, so it can truly be the happiest place on earth.

An official Action Network page educates the public about what this group desires and plans to accomplish.

The offical Magic United website logo with a brief description for Disneyland cast members
Credit: Magic United website

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Disneyland Resort’s Cast Members are the backbone of creating unforgettable experiences for park visitors. While most of Disneyland’s workforce is unionized, the Characters and Parades departments have notably been absent from this collective representation. However, these departments encompass far more than just performers; they rely on a coordinated effort of various workers to ensure the seamless execution of magical experiences. From training and facilitation to stage management, the behind-the-scenes efforts of these Cast Members contribute significantly to Disneyland’s enchantment.

Over the past year, Cast Members within these departments have been diligently rallying support among their peers. Now, the Magic United team is poised to take action by unionizing with the Actors’ Equity Association, aiming to improve workplace fairness and safety at Disneyland.

Magic United’s objectives are clear-cut: prioritizing Cast Member safety, advocating for fair compensation, fostering transparent communication, promoting equitable scheduling practices, and ensuring job security. By addressing these critical concerns, Magic United seeks to uphold Disneyland’s reputation as the happiest place for Cast Members and guests.

Magic United description with information on the Disneyland cast members who are unionizing.
Credit: Magic United website

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Actors’ Equity Association is actively working to unionize a significant portion of Disneyland’s workforce, explicitly targeting approximately 1,700 cast members who are part of the newly formed collective known as Magic United. This move represents a concerted effort to address the needs and concerns of these cast members within the Characters and Parades departments, who have thus far operated without formal collective representation.

By joining forces under the Actors’ Equity Association umbrella, Magic United aims to advocate for improved working conditions, fair compensation, transparent communication, and enhanced job security for its members at Disneyland Resort.

A spokesperson for the Actors Equity organization mentioned the following as a direct response to this breaking news:

When enough of us have signed our cards, either Disney will voluntarily recognize our union or we’ll have an official election.

No word yet on whether or not there will be a Disney World cast member unionization of similar stature at Walt Disney World Resort. The Walt Disney Company will also likely send an official statement sometime in the next 24 to 48 hours. With Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park cast members unionizing, time will tell if other departments will follow suit. Disney workers should be able to decide independently if they should form cast member unions without feeling fear from the Walt Disney Company or Disney’s CEO, Bob Iger.

Stay tuned as Inside The Magic works to get more information concerning this latest development.

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