UNITE HERE, the union behind more than 2,000 Disneyland Resort Hotel and Food Service cast members, has problems with Disneyland’s negotiating tactics. Since the current contract expired this morning at 12AM it means work actions, possibly a strike, could be looming. While management will try to step in and keep guest service levels running, you might want to keep an eye on this if you plan a vacation to Disneyland soon.
This article in the OC Register points out that UNITE HERE and the Disneyland Resort were on opposite sides of the SunCal condominium development issue. While I don’t think that should affect current contract talks, it does show that UNITE HERE leadership might be involved in bad decision making.
The red-herring of low income housing was never what SunCal and the Anaheim City Council’s decision was about. It was about short term money for a developer (and probably some city council members campaign coffers) at the expense of the long term income potential for the city and its residents by having a strong tourism district. While the issue of low income housing is an important one for UNITE HERE’s membership, this was not the battle to pick a fight over.