Cast Member Union Reach Tentative Agreement with Disney World
Disney World has reached a tentative agreement with a local cast member union. This tentative agreement would raise minimum wage to $18 an hour by December 3 of this year.
Related – Disney Union Announces “Rally For A Raise” at Walt Disney World on March 16th
TCU Lodge 1908 shared that there would be a minimum wage of $18 an hour by Dec. 3, 2023 and a minimum of $5.50 increases over the life of the agreement. There will be a vote on March 29.
A press release that came out today reads:
“Today the Services Trades Council Union (STCU) representing 45.000 theme park workers reached a historic tentative agreement with Walt Disney World.
Under this agreement, which is subject to approval by union members, every current theme park worker in the union will receive a raise between $5.50 and $8.60 by the end of the contract, with the first $3 in raises arriving this year.
“Securing an $18.00 minimum hourly rate this year, increasing the overall economic value of Disney’s original offer, and ensuring full back pay for every worker are the priorities union members were determined to fight for. Today, we won that fight” said STCU President Matt Hollis.
Nearly 14,000 union members voted to reject Disney’s previous offer in February. In that proposal, Disney had offered only a $17 minimum in 2023. Hotel and theme park workers from every union department voted to reject that offer and keep fighting for every union member to get $18 this year and full back pay
The six STCU affiliates – IATSE Local 631, IBT Local 385, TCU Local 1908. UFCW Local 1625, UNITE HERE Local 362, and UNITE HERE Local 737 – are unanimous in their support for this agreement and will be recommending their members vote to ratify the agreement. The STCU is scheduling a ratification vote to take place on March 29 from 7:00am – 7:00pm and will announce the results of the vote at that time.
Tara Moton, a Cook 1 (union line cook) at Disney’s Be Our Guest, said: “Just this morning. I was crying thinking about how I was going to afford my car tag renewal on top of the rent this week. But this raise is going to get me another $410 right away and retroactive pay. As a single mom, it’s going to let me finally catch up and even get ahead. My daughter turned 3 in November and I haven’t been able to celebrate her the way she deserves, but now I’m going to be able to do something special for her. I voted no last month because even though we’d already won a raise for me. I wasn’t going to vote yes until everyone could live comfortably and get a living wage. Nobody should work as hard as we do just to keep struggling, and I’m proud that we stood together to make it happen for every union worker”
For workers in job classifications that currently earn the minimum of $15, minimum hourly rates will increase to $16 effective 10/1/2022, with full back pay to all eligible union workers. then increase again to $17 upon ratification and $18 this December.
Their total raise will be $5.50 in 5 years, with the first $3 coming by December 2023.
The agreement also provides eight weeks of paid Child Bonding Leave, which is a benefit that does not exist in the current contract, and offers increases to many hourly premiums. The minimum rate for current workers will increase to $20.50 by October 2026. The minimum rate for workers hired after December 3. 2023, will increase to $20 by October 2026.”
What are your thoughts on the Cast Member unions and the ongoing negotiations with Disney?
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