A collection of Disneyland unions has drafted a letter to the Governor of California asking to be included in discussions about the reopening of Disneyland. In the letter, the unions mention that they had previously called upon the governor to delay reopening Disneyland due to safety concerns, but Disney had since made changes which lead them to support the reopening of the parks.
Interestingly, Disney has just completed negotiations with the various Disneyland unions and communications were sent last night and today to union members regarding the terms of both layoffs and return from furlough for the union members.
The buttery letter sent by the unions is in stark contrast to the bitter communications Disney has been spouting at the state for the past few weeks, including Bob Iger (former CEO and Chairman of the Board) stepping down abruptly from the state’s taskforce on recovery. It’s quite possible that Disney granted the unions favorable terms in consideration for the appeal from the unions below:
The letter is signed by Workers United Local 50, Unite Here Local 11, UFCW 324, I.A.T.S.E. 504, BCTGM Local 83, IESA, and AFM Local 7. The Teamsters did not participate in the letter and represent attractions cast members among others.
Since the previous union appeal to block reopening was a major consideration for the governor, it would reason that a reversal from the unions would carry some weight as well. However, Disney has seriously damaged its reputation with the governor through heated language and accusations. The governor stated in a press conference today that there were more theme parks than just Disney and that he would be splitting up the theme parks based upon size in the reopening guidelines. Some additional explanation is expected from the state tomorrow (Tuesday the 20th of October) if this letter doesn’t complicate things.
One final word of caution before you get too excited, the letter also calls for the parks to open in the “Orange Tier,” Orange County is currently in the Red Tier. With cases rising across the US, it’s unknown when Orange County might reach that stage. And that’s IF the governor agrees with the unions. But it sounds like some sort of plan may already be in the works at the state level.
We are interested in hearing your thoughts. Do you think the friendly approach of the unions will pull more weight than Disney’s heavy-handed dialog? Do you expect Disneyland will still be made to wait while smaller parks are allowed to open? Has Disneyland taken all the necessary steps for employee and guest safety in your opinion? Let us know in the comments below?
For more recent news from the Disneyland Resort, read the article below.
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