Disney World employs thousands of Cast Members, and many of those Cast Members are part of labor unions.

The unions and Disney have been negotiating over wage increases and healthcare for quite some time, with the latest being an offer and statement from Disney regarding a proposed increase. And now, we have an update on how the unions plan to respond. 

To bring you up to speed: the contracts for thousands of Disney unionized employees expired on October 1st. Since then, they’ve been negotiating with Disney for updates to their contracts including wage increases, health care, and more. Unions have requested Disney increase the minimum wage to $18 per hour, and increase the pay of those who make closer to that by $3 to keep up with inflation.

UNITE HERE Local 737, a union that represents employees that work for Disney World Food & Beverage and Housekeeping, along with other employees in the Orlando area, has shared an update regarding the negotiations on its Twitter page, indicating they plan on rejecting Disney’s contract offer.

MEDIA ADVISORY

Thousands of Workers set to Reject Disney’s Contract Offer

After months of negotiations, Disney is proposing raises of only $1 a year for most workers. STCU union members have joined to recommend a “no” vote. #DisneyWorkersNeedaRaise pic.twitter.com/rdcc4NHVJi

— UNITE HERE (@unitehere) January 27, 2023

The post reads, “Thousands of Disney workers are on the verge of rejecting Disney’s wage offer. Workers at Disney have been clear that they need immediate, large raises. All 6 unions representing workers in the Service Trades Council Union (STCU) are recommending that our members vote no on Disney’s contract proposal to keep fighting for the raises workers need.”

It continues, “Disney is proposing raises of $1 a year for most workers, but $1 is not enough to pay for the cost-of-living crisis that workers are facing in Central Florida. Rent and other expenses have skyrocketed, leaving workers in a state of emergency.”

Additionally, UNITE HERE Local 737, shared an infographic showing some of the hardships Cast Members have faced recently due to financial constraints from low wages. The graphic indicates 45% of those surveyed had skipped meals, 40% had physical or mental health problems because of stress about money, and 39% worried about the possibility of becoming unhoused.

The unions say increased cost of living and inflation are also factors. You can read the full statement here.

The Service Trades Council Union will be holding a press conference at 5PM on January 27th to address Disney’s latest offer and take questions. We’ll be keeping an eye out for more updates on the negotiations, so stay tuned to DFB for the latest.

Read More About the Disney World Cast Member Union Negotiations Here

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The post NEWS: Unions Urge Cast Members To REJECT Disney’s Contract Offer first appeared on the disney food blog.