http://www.orlandosentinel.com/the-daily-disney/os-disney-union-negotiations-20101105,0,1248818.story
Disney, union to seek mediation in deadlocked contract talks
Walt Disney World and its largest union group have agreed to bring in a federal mediator to help resolve deadlocked contract talks, the two sides announced Friday.
As part of the move, Disney and the Service Trades Council extended their current labor contract until Dec. 11. The contract, which had already been extended twice, had been set to expire in a few days.
Mediation meetings have been scheduled for Dec. 2.
Disney and the Service Trades Council were forced to turn to outside mediators during contract negotiations in 1998, 2001 and 2004. But they were able to avoid doing so during their last round of talks in 2007.
"Frankly, I much prefer it when the parties can reach agreement directly and personally," Service Trades Council President Harris Raynor said. "But [mediation is] a tool that people use in labor relations and let's hope it helps everybody see the other guy's point of view."
The Trades Council represents approximately 20,800 full-time workers at Disney World, from housekeepers and cooks to costumed characters and monorail pilots.
The current negotiations began in June. But they stalled last month, when workers voted down a proposed 42-month contract that critics claimed would have unfairly distributed raises and not lifted wages enough to offset rising health-insurance costs.
The two sides briefly returned to the negotiating table last week. But Disney rejected a new union proposal and responded by offering up the same contract that had been voted down — minus a $100 bonus the company had promised every full-time employee had the contract been ratified on the first vote.
In a joint statement, Disney and the union said "reaching an agreement on a new contract remains a priority."
Jason Garcia can be reached at jrgarcia@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5414.
