Disney workers vote for raise to $15 an hour

Unions representing nearly 10,000 workers at the Disneyland Resort ended a months-long labor dispute by voting Thursday in favor of a three-year contract that raises hourly wages by as much as 20 percent immediately and an additional 13 percent in January.

The employees — including candy makers, custodians, retail workers, attraction operators and others — voted by secret ballot throughout the day at Disneyland’s Lincoln Theater in favor of an offer that raises the minimum hourly rate of $11 to $13.25 immediately and to $15 starting in January, three years before California’s minimum wage is scheduled to reach that level. An increase to $15.50 an hour is slated for June 2020.

Resort employees with higher salaries, such as truck drivers, would get more modest wage increases, with workers who earn $20 an hour receiving a raise of 60 cents an hour immediately and an additional 75 cents in January. Hourly pay would increase to $21.99 in June 2020.

All workers will get a retroactive pay increase of either 3 percent or 50 cents an hour, whichever is greater, back to June 17.

The vote tally wasn’t im- mediately available. The contract applies to workers in four unions at Disneyland, California Adventure Park, Disney’s Anaheim hotels and the nearby shopping district.

Union officials said Disney had offered a raise to $15 an hour several months ago, but the leadership of the labor group rejected the proposal because it included cuts to job perks and forced the unions to turn to arbitration to resolve future disputes.