Cast Members Defy Disney, Hand Out Banned Materials

For many children who love Disney, they dream of growing up and working at the theme parks. Maybe they want to make the delicious food guests enjoy, or they want to be one of the characters that make guests squeal with joy. Maybe some kids dream of operating iconic attractions or selling unique merchandise. Those kids who get older and still have that dream try to get into the Disney College Program and get real theme park work experience.

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It’s no secret that Disney would not be Disney without the thousands of incredible cast members who show up every day and work their hardest to create magic for guests.

Sadly, cast members don’t think Disney cares about them as much as they care about Disney. Over the past few years, thousands of cast members have gone on strike and decided to unionize. Studies have shown that a high number of Disney cast members face food insecurity, and a lot even face homelessness. Many of the strikes center around cast members fighting for a higher wage.

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Disneyland cast members are no exception. A local southern California union that represents thousands of cast members is currently fighting for its members to get a wage increase. Cast members who supported the union were seen in the parks wearing Mickey Mouse raised fist pins.

However, Disney told them they were not allowed to wear the pins. And cast members are even saying that they were disciplined for wearing the buttons. The Master Services Council, which represents 13,000 cast members, is currently suing Disney for unfair labor practices. They are representing more than 500 workers who claim they were disciplined.

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And now, the cast members are finding their own way to fight back.

According to The Orange County Register, cast members were seen handing out the buttons in question to visiting guests and asking them to sign a petition.

Disneyland’s largest union coalition took its fight for a pay raise to the streets by handing out Mickey Mouse raised fist buttons to visitors entering the Anaheim theme park.

Disneyland union employees distributed buttons on Monday, July 1 with the Disney icon’s white gloved hand raised in a fist as a symbol of fighting oppression and asked arriving theme park visitors to sign a petition in support of union contract negotiations seeking fair wages.

Cast members, Disney parlance for employees, handed out the buttons with Mickey’s cartoon fist at the corner of Harbor Boulevard and Disney Way while wearing their theme park uniforms.

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According to Disney officials, the cast members who faced discipline did so because they were breaking the rules they must follow when wearing their costumes (aka uniforms). Disney has loosened its “look” guidelines recently, but cast members must still follow certain guidelines.

“Disneyland Resort cast members may only wear buttons and pins that are a part of their costumes while at work so that the show is maintained for our guests.”

Earlier this year, dozens of Disneyland performers also decided to unionize. They wanted the protection of a union and the advocacy that comes with it. The performers are now part of the Actors Equity Association. They first spoke about unionizing in February and then officially joined their union, “Magic United”, in May.

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The Master Services Council has been negotiating with Disney for new cast member contracts since April. Their contracts expired in June, and we do not know when the terms of a new contract will be agreed upon.

Do you think Disney cast members should be allowed to wear union buttons? Let us know in the comments!