Credit: Shad Islam, UnsplashMore workers at Universal Studios are growing inclined to a strike amid complaints over “poverty wages.”
Theme park workers have long campaigned for higher pay to reflect jobs that can involve long hours, extreme weather, demanding guests, and physically intensive work. Those tensions have spilled into industrial action before, including at Disneyland in 1984, when roughly 2,000 unionized employees walked out for 22 days over pay and benefits.
The Anaheim resort came close to another strike in July 2024, when hundreds protested for higher pay before workers voted 99% to authorize action; a deal was reached before any walkout. Further afield, in 2023, around 1,000 Disneyland Paris employees walked out, demanding a €200 monthly rise, double Sunday pay, and better conditions.
Now, Universal Studios workers are pushing for change.
Hollywood Theme Park Workers Demand Action
As per a recent guest report on Reddit, more and more Universal Studios Hollywood workers have been spotted wearing union buttons within the California theme park.
“I’ve seen ‘We are not your minions’, ‘Don’t be a Grinch’, and ‘Universal runs on union power’ for months now,” the guest wrote. “Suddenly, I’m seeing ones that say ‘No more poverty wages’, so I figured things must have gotten worse if they stepped away from the cutesy messaging.”
The park’s team members have been in talks with Universal since November 2025. However, the same guest alleged, “Apparently, Universal is being horrible to them in bargaining, and strike sentiment is growing.”
Multiple rallies have occurred since talks began. Earlier this year, Universal Studios Hollywood workers who are part of UNITE HERE Local 11 and IATSE Local 192 marched through the attached shopping and dining district, CityWalk, to push for ICE protections in their next union contract.
“UNITE HERE Local 11 and IATSE Local 192 have proposed contract language that would ensure that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is not voluntarily allowed onto the Universal hill and backlot, and that NBCUniversal publicly condemns the use of violence, militarized tactics, or intimidation by ICE or other federal agencies against individuals, workers, or families,” UNITE HERE Local 11 said in a statement. “NBCUniversal has not agreed to these proposed protections.”
In June, workers called for Universal to support workers’ rights in a rally that highlighted the fact that the park has recently spent a considerable sum on its upcoming attraction, Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift.
The dispute comes as Universal Studios Hollywood approaches one of its busiest periods. Halloween Horror Nights runs on select nights from September 3 to November 1, transforming the park with haunted houses, scare zones, the Terror Tram and live entertainment. This year’s confirmed mazes include Sinners, Stranger Things 5, and Hellraiser.
What are your thoughts on Universal Studios Hollywood team members taking action?
