Toronto Star

Disney World muzzles its actors, union says

- MIKE SCHNEIDER

ORLANDO, FLA.— Who’s underneath that Mickey Mouse mask? Walt Disney World doesn’t want you to know, and the actors who play Disney characters at the theme parks say that’s a violation of their constituti­onal rights.

A union representi­ng actors who portray Mickey, Goofy and other characters filed a complaint Friday with the National Labor Relations Board, challengin­g a policy that it says prevents the performers from revealing which animated figures they portray.

Teamsters Local 385 said in the complaint that Disney was committing an unfair labour practice. A grievance was filed last week with the company. The two-week-old written policy prevents actors from publicly revealing in social media or traditiona­l media which characters they play, according to the union.

Violations could lead to disciplina­ry action including firing, said Donna-Lynne Dalton, recording secre- tary for the Teamsters local. So far, she said, none of the 1,200 character actors at Walt Disney World have faced any disciplina­ry action.

“The performers are very concerned because you can’t un-tell somebody something,” Dalton said. “They have family and friends that already know this and have pictures of themselves in their performing roles. It’s out there.”

The confidenti­ality policy had been a subject of negotiatio­ns during past contract talks, but it never made it into a contract, union officials said.

“The company doesn’t have the right to control social media postings,” said Mike Stapleton, president of the Teamsters local. “Suddenly the company wants to pretend there aren’t people behind those costumes and the Constituti­on doesn’t extend to the theme park.” Disney spokeswoma­n Jacquee Wahler said the company has always expected the performers not to reveal the actors behind the characters. But the union says it has never before been a written policy.

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