Thirty-two protesters were arrested, handcuffed, frisked and loaded into police vans Thursday at the culmination of a labor protest at Disneyland in Anaheim.
The picketers — who were dressed in traditional Disney costumes — began the day at one of three Disney hotels and marched to the gates of Disneyland. They were then arrested on a misdemeanor count of failure to obey a police officer and two traffic infractions, and were expected to be booked and released the same day.
The dispute involves about 2,300 maids, bell hops, cooks and dishwashers at three Disney-owned hotels: the Paradise Pier, the Grand Californian and the Disneyland Hotel.
The workers’ contract expired in February and their union says Disney’s latest proposal makes health care unaffordable for hundreds of employees and creates an unfair two-tier wage system. The union also says Disney wants to create a new category of part-time employees who would receive greatly reduced benefits.
“The other hotels around the area all have health care that is provided by the boss and have been able to get wage increases,” said Ava Briceno, president of Unite Here Local 681, which represents the workers.
Many brave and courageous people, average Joes and Janes in the 1930’s, were beaten, maimed, and mutilated, some killed, as they fought for worker’s rights, one of which was to form a collective bargaining union. They brought themselves and the rest of us out of slavery basically. It is beyond me why the average American has so little knowledge of these events, how it has improved their quality of life, and what is really unbelievable, how little support they give to workers rights!
The fast disappearing US middle class does all the work, pays most of the taxes the rich people get around paying, and yet get screwed on health benefits. You get sick here, you loose your home, and go to the free clinic with the drug addicts and no one gives a damn. Try it, I have and it is not a pretty picture. Wake up people insist on affordable health care. Every other civilized (not as rich) as the USA country has it!
There is more to life than a bunch of questionable celebrities with drug and alcohol problems. I am guessing the Beet realizes this and I applaud her for mentioning this issue. Disney has enough money to pay people a decent living wage. Write Disney a letter and tell they you will boycott their products unless they stop cheating Americans! Do something!
you know what is absolutely amazing, i live in the town next to anaheim and this is the first time i have heard about this strike. there hasn’t been any local coverage of this story.
wow…we were at disneyland last thursday with the kids and we didn’t see any picket lines. we don’t cross them and would have told the kids that we’d go another time if we had.