California Disney Characters Are Unionizing Decades After Florida Peers. Hollywood Plays A Role

ORLANDO, Florida. Throughout his three-year tenure as a parade performer at the Disneyland Resort in Southern California, Zach Elefante has consistently held additional employment to supplement his income.

In contrast to the experiences of his colleagues at Disney’s parks in Orlando, Florida, where there is a limited number of skilled individuals available, the actors who portray Mickey Mouse, Goofy, and other cherished Disney characters in the California parks do not always receive a regular and predictable work schedule from the firm.

That is one of the reasons why Californian artists are currently organizing to form a union, more than forty years after their Florida counterparts did the same.

According to the California performers, Disney requires character performers to have open availability but does not always provide them with set work hours as a result.

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California Disney Characters Are Unionizing Decades After Florida Peers. Hollywood Plays A Role

“Many performers believe that if they do not make themselves fully available, they will not be cast in shows…” “This will have a ripple effect on other occupations that are necessary for our livelihood in this region,” stated Elefante, a resident of Santa Ana, California.

In recent weeks, the California character performers, along with the Actors’ Equity Association union representing them, announced that they have submitted a formal request for union certification.

In this instance, a different union is carrying out the organizing efforts, and they are happening at a different time. Consequently, it is expected that the California character and parade performers will likely not encounter the same level of animosity that the Disney actors in Florida have had with their union, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

The relationship between the performers that bring enchantment to the Magic Kingdom and the Teamsters, a union originally established for transportation and warehouse employees with strong connections to organized crime until the late 1980s, has been tumultuous during the past forty years in Florida.

What is the reason for the California character performers organizing now, several decades after their Florida counterparts? In contrast to Florida, where being a character actor is typically a full-time occupation, many character performers in Southern California have many other engagements, frequently in Hollywood films and television.

Elefante entertains audiences at Universal Studios Hollywood and also serves as a tour guide for the movie studios. Chase Thomas not only performs in the “Fantasmic!” show at Disneyland but also holds the position of director of operations for a theatrical festival. Before this, he worked as a visual effects coordinator and an entertainment licensing agent.

Angela Nichols relocated to California to pursue a career as a television writer. In addition to her role as an entertainment presenter at Disneyland, she frequently engages in writing activities. At Disneyland, she supports the character performers by assisting them during customer interactions.

“Disney truly serves as a fundamental and essential element of the narratives that shape our cultural upbringing.” “The ability to observe individuals fully engaged in these narratives and experience them firsthand is enchanting,” Nichols stated. When we receive support as cast members and performers, we are able to achieve that.” Currently, we are not adequately prepared for success in the necessary manner.

Amidst the COVID-19 epidemic and recent actors’ and writers’ strikes, the character performers sought a more reliable schedule at Disneyland following its yearlong hiatus due to the pandemic. The pandemic has heightened their awareness of health and safety issues, such as embracing guests or maintaining hygienic costumes.

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California Disney Characters Are Unionizing Decades After Florida Peers. Hollywood Plays A Role

The majority of the workforce at the Disneyland Resort in Southern California, which exceeds 35,000 employees, were already part of a labor union. The parades and character department members were included in this group.

“Many cast members aspire to pursue this as a full-time career and succeed,” Thomas stated.

In contrast to their colleagues in Florida, the character actors in California are being organized by a specialized union dedicated to entertainers. Officials of the Actors’ Equity Association possess a deep understanding of the distinctive requirements of theme park performers, which may be challenging for other labor unions to comprehend.

Before a new stage show, it is necessary to conduct tests on the shoes of the costumes to ensure that the actors do not encounter any accidents, such as tripping or slipping while on stage. Union representatives ensure that “face performers,” with visible faces, such as Cinderella, have appropriate cosmetics and verify the availability of ice packs for procession dancers to alleviate knee soreness.

The persistent issue of unclean costumes was a primary motivation for Florida artists to seek organization with the Teamsters in the early 1980s. Additional factors comprised of children striking Disney antagonists, such as Captain Hook in the lower legs and adults reaching for the chests of actors portraying Mickey Mouse to ascertain the gender of the individual within.

Ensuring the cleanliness of costumes was of utmost importance to the character performers in Florida. Over twenty years ago, the Teamsters effectively negotiated a contract language that designated specific underwear for each performer. The performers allowed these undergarments to be taken home for washing purposes. This measure was implemented after instances of pubic lice and scabies were transmitted through the shared clothing.

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California Disney Characters Are Unionizing Decades After Florida Peers. Hollywood Plays A Role

In Florida, there has always been a conflict of cultures between the costumed character entertainers and the conventional leaders of the Teamsters Union, who represent truck drivers and warehouse workers. The drivers frequently regarded the performers as individuals leading enchanted existences, remunerated for adorning themselves in costumes on a daily basis, as if it were Halloween.

Tensions reached their climax in the late 2010s when a new leader of the local Teamsters unit in Orlando started singling out the costumed character performers for abuse. The character actors resisted, and the conflict escalated to James Hoffa, the then-leader of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, who intervened.

Elefante in California is optimistic that union representation will provide artists with a platform to influence decisions regarding many matters, such as the oversized costumes that can lead to long-term injuries if not properly fitted, as well as the safety protocols for performing in parades during rainy weather.

“It is about having the opportunity to participate in the discussion and be included in the decision-making process from the standpoint of the performers,” Elefante stated.

SOURCE – (AP)