Disneyland avoids what would have been its first strike in 40 years

Disneyland has averted the possibility of the first employee strike in 40 years by reaching a tentative agreement with 14,000 workers on Tuesday.

Approximately 9,500 of those employees whose contract had already expired voted Friday to authorize a strike, which had yet to be scheduled as planned negotiations continued early this week. The bargaining group of four unions, represents workers including ticket takers, candy makers, custodians, retail workers, and ride operators.

After the tentative deal on Tuesday, Disneyland Resort spokesperson Jessica Good said, “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.”

“I’m excited, overwhelmed and beyond the moon,” said Cyn Carranza, a Disneyland resort employee.

Union leaders said they will not release details of the tentative agreement until employees have the chance to review and vote on the contract next Monday.

The bargaining committee said in a statement that they had reached this tentative agreement after four months of hard-fought negotiations: “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. We look forward to making our voices heard during the voting process to ratify this contract.”