Disneyland Character Workers at California Park Vote to Unionize

A majority of Disneyland cast members who perform as characters such as Mickey and Minnie Mouse and dance in parades at the amusement park, in California, voted to unionize with the Actors’ Equity Association on Saturday, the union said.

The Actors’ Equity Association, the national labor union that represents more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers, said it had exceeded the threshold it needed in a vote overseen by the National Labor Relations Board, winning a 79 percent majority with 953 yes votes and 258 no votes, according to a statement.

Among the key issues that brought workers together to fight for representation in future negotiations with the company were securing improvements in safety and scheduling and demanding “a living wage,” as well as other workplace benefits, the union said.

“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,” Kate Shindle, the actor association’s president, said in a statement on Saturday.

In a statement on Sunday, a Disneyland spokeswoman said that “it is premature for the company to comment on the results.”

Union leaders had already counted a symbolic victory in bringing together the workers who define the park’s experience for the many visitors who interact and take photos with the beloved Disney characters.