Thousands of Disneyland workers will not be walking out on “The Happiest Place on Earth” – at least for now – after union officials announced early Wednesday morning that a tentative agreement has been reached for a new contract for 14,000 workers.
“Cast members have fought hard for the past four months and this tentative agreement would not have been possible without the strength we all showed throughout this process and the unwavering support from guests and community members,” reads a news release statement from the Disney Workers Rising Bargaining committee.
“We have shown Disney that we are the true magic makers of the park and today proves that when workers stand together for what they deserve, we win.”
Disney officials say they are happy they were able to reach agreement on a three-year deal.
“We care deeply about the wellbeing of our cast members and are pleased to have reached a tentative agreement with Master Services Council that addresses what matters most to our cast while positioning Disneyland Resort for future growth and job creation,” reads a statement on a Disney website.
Workers are expected to vote on the agreement on Monday July 29, with details of the new contract to be shared after the vote.
If employees were to have hit the picket line it would have marked the first major strike at the iconic theme park in 40 years and the company has said on a Disney website that if a strike were to occur, the theme park and the surrounding resort would stay open.
The tentative agreement landed about a week after the theme park celebrated its 69th anniversary and just hours after Anaheim officials recognized the park and nearby resort at their city council meeting.
Mayor Ashleigh Aitken at Tuesday’s council meeting said the city was lucky to have Disney.
“Disneyland helps us by bringing 25 million visitors annually to our great city and all of those visitors visiting our city helps us do what we do best: fund city services, support our police, support our parks,” she said.
At the same meeting, a host of Disney workers called on elected officials to support them in getting livable wages.
Anthony Barajas, an 18-year Disney employee, told officials Tuesday that people from across the globe come to Disneyland to experience the magic created by the workers.
“The magic that we have created daily makes Disneyland – Disney – billions of dollars and yet most of us cast members are struggling to make basic ends meet,” he said.
Earlier this month, 99% of the 14,000 Disney employees voted to support a walkout as they push for better pay, seniority based wages, increased safety and changes to an attendance policy.
They’re represented by a coalition of four labor unions dubbed the Master Services Council.
On X, the Disney Workers Rising bargaining committee wrote that the tentative three-year contract would create significant pay increases, seniority increases and address attendance policy issues.
[Read: Disneyland Workers May Soon Strike at ‘The Happiest Place on Earth’]
And in June, Disney labor representatives announced they filed unfair labor practice charges against Disney for unlawful discipline, intimidation and surveillance of workers wearing union buttons on the job. The charges are being investigated by the National Labor Relations Board.
[Read: Are Disneyland Workers Going on Strike?]
Through the website, Disney officials say unauthorized buttons are against company dress code guidelines.
The potential strike comes months after Anaheim officials unanimously approved a $2 billion proposal to expand the iconic theme park, with support from a host of Disney workers and numerous labor leaders who said the expansion would create high quality jobs.
It also comes a year after a host of laborers including local hotel workers hit the picket line last summer to fight for better wages amid inflation and a higher cost of living.
Hosam Elattar is a Voice of OC reporter and corps member with Report for America, a GroundTruth initiative. Contact him at helattar@voiceofoc.org or on Twitter @ElattarHosam.
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