Summer is usually the busiest time to visit Disneyland Resort. It’s the time when most people, especially kids, are on vacation, making it the easiest time to visit the happiest place on earth. This usually means long lines at Disneyland even in the best of circumstances. However, with large portions of the park under construction and some of the best rides at Disneyland closed, it hasn’t necessarily been the best time to visit the park right now. Things may be about to get a lot worse as 14,000 Disneyland Resort cast members may be about to go on strike.
The Los Angeles Times reports that four major unions, representing 14,000 Disneyland Resort cast members have scheduled a strike authorization vote for July 19. The strike vote comes while the National Labor Relations Board has been investigating Disney for alleged labor violations. The unions have accused the theme park of unlawful intimidation, surveillance, and disciplinary threats.
Disneyland Cast Members May Go On Strike Soon
Negotiations for a new contract have been underway since April. The major sticking point, unsurprisingly, appears to be money. Disney is balking at a pay increase that it says is a 40% jump over the previous contract. However, the union argues that the bulk of the pay increase actually comes from a living wage law recently passed for the city of Anaheim.
There is a meeting between Disneyland Resort and the union currently scheduled for July 22. Assuming the strike vote passes on the 19th, which seems likely, there will certainly be added pressure on that meeting. If there is no agreement or at least meaningful progress from that meeting, we could see a strike called shortly afterward.
Needless to say, if 14,000 cast members walk off the job later this month it’s going to make guests' experiences in the park more difficult. The unions involved in this fight represent theme park ride operators, candy makers, custodians, and cashiers. Take them off the job and Disneyland is going to become a lot less fun for those looking to experience the parks.
Major Closures Are Already Causing Problems At Disneyland
These issues, if they come to pass, will be on top of the fact that Disneyland Park specifically has been dealing with some necessary, but significant problems that have made this a difficult summer season. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure recently opened at Disney World but hasn’t opened at Disneyland yet, so it’s still closed, along with the entirety of Critter Country.
The Haunted Mansion is also closed as it is still going through a major queue renovation. As such, an entire corner of the park is closed for business. Haunted Mansion is scheduled to reopen by late August, though without construction having been completed. Critter Country and Tiana's Bayou Adventure don't have opening dates yet.
And things are going to get worse before they get better. Space Mountain is scheduled to go down for refurbishment in early August, just before the D23 event takes place not far from Disneyland. This will take another crowd-eating and incredibly popular attraction out of commission.
If the ride and land closures are met with a strike, things will only get worse for the guests. Certainly, when the work is all done, Disneyland will be better than ever, but it’s certainly caused some pain to get there.
Disneyland cast members should be paid well. They do a wonderful job that makes our park experience better. Hopefully, a strike can be avoided so that both guests and cast members can have as happy a summer at Disneyland as possible.
