Unionized character performers at Disneyland Resort could lose parental leave and have their paid holidays cut as contract negotiations continue nearly two years after they began.
Magic United and Disney’s Ongoing Contract Negotiations
After forming under Actors’ Equity Association in early 2024, Magic United has been negotiating with Disney for their first contract since October 2024. The group includes 1,700 performers from Disney parades, shows, and meet and greets.
Disney’s most recent proposal, according to a Los Angeles Times report, does not include paid parental leave, eliminates a paid holiday, and reduces how much Disney matches employee contributions to their 401(k) plans.
A labor relations manager wrote to union leadership in an April 6 email viewed by The Times, “Our proposal does not include Paid Parental Leave” and reduces the number of paid holidays for full-time workers from 12 to 11, eliminating Easter.
Disneyland Resort spokesperson Jessica Jakary said in a statement, “Disneyland Resort values its cast members, offers competitive benefits and is proud of its long history of working collaboratively with the unions that represent them.”
According to Jakary, the 11 holidays match the benefit of over 80% of Disneyland Resort employees.
She explained proposals might change and the negotiations are establishing initial employment terms and conditions for the first time instead of changing an existing contract. Therefore, she said, no benefits were actually cut.
However, the workers received paid parental leave before unionizing. Other unionized workers at Disney Parks also receive paid parental leave. One such group is character actors at Walt Disney World in Florida.
However, Jakary pointed out that Florida does not provide state disability payments for parental leave like California.
Actors’ Equity responded in a statement, “The existence of state disability for parental leave in California has not previously been a factor preventing the company from offering this benefit to these workers, so it’s not an excuse for eliminating that benefit.”
“They are trying to strip away the very things that make the Disneyland experience what it is,” said Actors’ Equity’s executive director Al Vincent Jr. “When you propose to take away paid parental leave from those who work day in and day out to give other families great experiences, that’s not family friendly.”
“We’re not asking for the moon,” said Courtney Griffith, a 28-year-old performer whose resume includes Fantasmic! “We give our all to performing to make sure the guests have the best experience they possibly can because we grew up having the best experience. We just want to be invested in the way that we invest in this company.”
Disney’s proposals also limit the number of times a worker can give a shift away without managerial approval.
Madison Huckaby-Budds said the ability to trade or give away shifts was helpful when she was pregnant so she could avoid locations that required lots of physical movement.
“The benefit of Disney’s flexibility of finding coverage like that was huge for me to be able to continue to do all the things that I do,” said Huckaby-Budds.
After giving birth in July, paid parental leave has been vital for Huckaby-Budds as she recovers from an unplanned c-section.
Wages continue to be a point of contention, too. Disney did not propose a pay increase for the first year of the contract, although have been raising wages annually.
Tiffany Dunn, who works in the character operations department, said, “The fact that I have given so much time to creating magical memories for people, and yet the company can’t support someone like me in creating my own family and making that a sustainable choice moving forward, it’s a disappointing point.”
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