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Season 6, Episode 156

Disneyland Workers’ Struggle: From 1984 to Recent Victories

CARIE RAEL LABOR 131 SIDEBAR

 

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Carie Rael

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https://www.bcbs.com/

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On this edition of Labor 131, presented by the National Labor Office of Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, Carie Rael, Assistant Professor in History at California State University, Long Beach, joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the 1984 Disneyland strike, recent labor victories and the evolving landscape of union representation at the theme park.

Rael detailed the 1984 strike, the largest in Disneyland's history, involving a coalition of five unions representing about 2,000 workers. This 22-day strike marked a turning point in Anaheim's labor history, disrupting Disney's image as a benevolent employer and demonstrating the power of united action. She noted that while the strike didn't achieve all its goals, it forced Disney to compromise in negotiations for the first time and laid the groundwork for future organizing efforts.

The conversation then shifted to recent labor victories, including the 2018 ballot measure in Anaheim to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. She explained that despite Disney's initial refusal to comply, a March 2025 court ruling ordered the company to pay the higher wage, provide 100 percent back pay with overtime and 10 percent interest. This ruling, Rael said, represents a significant win for Disney workers and Anaheim residents, showcasing the effectiveness of unions' political engagement and community organizing strategies.

Rael also highlighted the growth in union representation at Disneyland, from the five unions involved in the 1984 strike to 27 different units today. She emphasized how unions, particularly those representing hotel workers, have adapted to changing demographics by embracing immigrant workers and diversifying leadership. This approach has led to increased membership and stronger bargaining power, despite challenges like ICE raids targeting immigrant workers, she added. 

To learn more about the history of labor struggles at Disneyland and recent union victories, listen to the full episode of the America's Work Force Union Podcast.

 


America’s Work Force is the only daily labor podcast in the US and has been on the air since 1993, supplying listeners with useful, relevant input into their daily lives through fact-finding features, in-depth interviews, informative news segments and practical consumer reports. America’s Work Force is committed to providing an accessible venue in which America's workers and their families can hear discussion on important, relevant topics such as employment, healthcare, legislative action, labor-management relations, corporate practices, finances, local and national politics, consumer reports and labor issues.

America’s Work Force Union Podcast is brought to you in part by our sponsors: AFL-CIO, American Federation of Government Employees, American Federation of Musicians Local 4, Alliance for American Manufacturing, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes-IBT, Boyd Watterson, Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, Communication Workers of America, Mechanical Insulators Labor Management Cooperative Trust, International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Local 50, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Crafts, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 6, Ironworkers Great Lakes District Council, Melwood, The Labor Citizen newspaper, Laborers International Union of North America, The National Labor Office of Blue Cross and Blue Shield, North Coast Area Labor Federation, Ohio Federation of Teachers, United Labor Agency, United Steelworkers.

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