Local 362 and the Service Trades Council (STCU) have been locked in negotiations with Disney management for nearly 6 months. The Union is seeking fair wage increases and affordable health insurance. The membership of the Union rejected Disney’s current offer on October 14, 2010. Since then, Disney has held an offer on the table that is worse than the one previously rejected. The current offer is the same as the one we rejected, minus the $100 bonus for voting “yes”. Despite that, the offer continues to leave workers with families and health insurance making less money at the end of the contract. Disney insists the offer is “fair and competitive”. The Local 362 bargaining committee is determined to fight for our goals.The parties’ meeting with a federal mediator on Thursday, December 2, 2010 proved fruitless. Every proposal the Union made to Disney was rejected. After that session, the STCU extended the current agreement until January 20, 2011.
Throughout bargaining, activists of Local 362 raised their voices. On October 22 at Labor Relations, on November 16 at DTD Vice-President Keith Bradford’s office, and on December 16 at the Epcot Leadership Office (pictured above) large groups of workers went to deliver a message that “Disney can do better.”
During Thanksgiving week, staff members of UNITE HERE! Local 362, UFCW Local 1625 and Teamsters Local 385, passed out fliers at Orlando International Airport stating that the relationship between Disney and it’s Cast Members is: “Tangled.”
On November 30, 2010, the STCU held a red-carpet premiere of MOUSETRAPPED 2010 ( http://www.youtube.com/james112680 ) and then rallied to bring our message to the public. Every major news station covered the event and the release of the film has had over 50,000 views associated with its content. Over a hundred workers rallied at Crossroads with signs and chants stating “What do we want? CONTRACT. When do we want it? NOW” and “It’s a small check after all.”
Bargaining is scheduled to resume on January 7, 2011, between the parties. In the meantime, Local 362 and the other fighting Unions at Disney will continue to put pressure on the Company to offer a fair contract. Stay up to date by checking the hot line at (407) 851-0626, extension 29
