Employees who wear costumes at Disneyland have voted to unionize with the Actors’ Equity Association.
There are 1,700 employees who were eligible to take part in the voting. The 50% required for Equity to become the bargaining agent for the workers was easily surpassed, with 79% of the employees voting yes.
According to Actors’ Equity, 953 voted in favor of unionizing, while 258 voted against the move on Saturday.
“They say that Disneyland is ‘the place where dreams come true,’ and for the Disney Cast Members who have worked to organize a union, their dream came true today,” Actors’ Equity Association President Kate Shindle said in a statement.
“These workers are on the front lines of the Guest experience; they’re the human beings who create lifelong memories when your kids hug a character, or when your family watches a parade roll by the castle,’ Shindle added. “The next step will be to collaborate with them about improving health & safety, wages, benefits, working conditions and job security. After that we will meet with representatives of the Walt Disney Company to negotiate those priorities into a first contract.”
The cast members involved are regularly dressed in costumes such as Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, or Cinderella, or portray certain Disney-related characters such as princes or princesses. The employees take part in parades, interact with Disneyland visitors, and perform in certain dining areas across Disney parks and resorts.
Eligible employees were able to place their votes at three voting stations located on Disney property over a three-day voting period. The vote is overseen by the National Labor Relations Board.
The Disneyland characters and parade cast members originally announced their plan to unionize in February.
Actors’ Equity Association also represents 51,000 professional actors and stage managers on Broadway and live theatre across the U.S.