Disney reaches agreement with Union that clears the way for recalling Cast Members to work at Walt Disney World

May 15, 2020 in "The Walt Disney Company"

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Posted: Friday May 15, 2020 9:53am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

The Services Trades Council Union, which represents 43,000 Cast Members at Walt Disney World, has reached an agreement with Disney on safeguarding employees returning to work.

The deal, reached late last night, provides safety protections and benefits for Cast Members regarding a return to work including:

Ensuring that anyone who contracts COVID-19 will have paid time off to quarantine.
Cast Members will be trained on how to conduct self-assessments regarding symptoms of COVID-19 at home. Disney will provide a thermometer to anyone who requests one. Cast who have COVID-19 symptoms can call in free of attendance discipline.
Additional safety procedures put in place by the Company include: masks for Guests and Cast mandatory (Cast will be provided 3 masks), social distancing practices, training at multiple levels on safety, plastic barriers at all cash registers, increased cleaning in high traffic areas, touchless transactions at cash registers, increased sanitation and hand washing stations across property, monthly worker safety meetings, and guest temperature checks at property.

Disney Springs will open on May 20 with third party operating participants. It is expected that Disney owned locations at Disney Springs will begin operation shortly after.

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LilofanMay 26, 2020

That guy would probably not pull that act in his workplace.

natatomicMay 26, 2020

I agree, I don’t think anyone will be let in to Disney without wearing a mask. I think that will be a very black-and-white decision While the mask requirement is in place. however… 5 feet past security once inside? I don’t think for a second that will be heavily enforced. We’ve already seen dozens of pictures of people not wearing masks inside. if you don’t want to mask while at Disney, you really should just stay home until it’s no longer a requirement. Disney is private property, and a decent person would properly follow their rules. On the flipside, i’ve seen even the most decent people need a break from their masks in this heat, and if you think that others wearing masks properly 100% of the time are the only thing that’s preventing you from getting the coronavirus, you should also stay home until the coronavirus is no longer a threat to you. Because we’ve already seen plenty of proof of people not following the requirements once past security. And I’ve seen pictures of people with strips of lace or thin gauze being used for a mask, which are obviously doing nothing to protect anyone either.

kpilcherMay 25, 2020

well.. not if you're on stilts.

ThelazerMay 22, 2020

I wouldn't say that.. I'd say a gentleman's agreement.

SirwalterraleighMay 21, 2020

Pretty hard to equate these things to mandatory face masks. Instances are few and far between I don’t think universal impacts Disney’s decision making process much at all... In fact...near the top of Disney’s concern list is just how much traffic will come and if it’s worth it? Universal willing to test that is a good thing for Burbank

mktMay 21, 2020

Almost all frontline and backstage hourly CM's are union. Most professional and salaried CM's are not union.

TrojanUSCMay 21, 2020

Did it? WDW hasn't called any substantial amount of CMs back yet and there's some belief that UO moved too soon with so much uncertainty about cases and numbers.

Rich BrownnMay 21, 2020

Well, that aged poorly LOL

peter11435May 21, 2020

Not all roles at WDW are union. However the majority of frontline roles are union.

mfortisMay 21, 2020

Are all cast members union?

mktMay 21, 2020

IIRC, it's based on how they auditioned. If they are primarily singers, they're Equity; but if they primarily play an instrument (but can do backing vocals or minimal interaction with guests), they're AFM. With bands, I believe they're all AFM.

LdnoMay 21, 2020

There was a guy who went with no mask to disney springs and tried crying the whole this is a free country speech, only for the CM to tell them that Disney is a private company and they kicked him off the property. yeah, good luck pushing their buttons

TrojanUSCMay 21, 2020

FL hasn't even reached phase 2 yet. They have no idea when they can open, other than an estimate. All signs indicate they will be closed until early-to-mid July and it's far too early to recall people now. They may be recalling a couple hundred people to help with signage, testing, etc but that's about it. Also none of the schedulers or labor management people have been recalled yet to schedule these "cast" on a mass scale.

TrainsOfDisneyMay 21, 2020

I had asked about this earlier. Does this include the piano players, grand floridian orchestra, mariachi, Main Street Philharmonic? Dapper Dans and Voices are both equity asfaik, and I know Citizens of Main Street and Hollywood are equity.