Bishops and workers to join over a thousand supporters to March and Protest Disneyland
Labor Desk
July 10, 2009
Episcopal Delegates Pledge Not to Return to Disney if Workers Call for a Boycott in their Fight for Affordable Health Insurance.
2,300 Disney hotel workers employed as restaurant servers, dishwashers, housekeepers, front desk agents, and bellmen at the three Disneyland Hotels, Paradise Pier Hotel, Disneyland Hotel, and Grand California Hotel, have been working without a union contract since February 2008.
So hundreds of delegates to the National Convention of the Episcopal Church will join hundreds of workers, community supporters and other faith leaders to march on Disneyland and rally in support of Disney hotel workers. The march will take place on Tuesday, July 14 at 4:30 p.m. with a rally at the Anaheim Convention Center. At 5:00 p.m. the march to Disneyland will begin.
The crux of the fight is over Disney's proposals to increase costs and raise eligibility requirements for health care, and to establish part time classifications. The Company's proposals would produce substantial hardship for Disney hotel workers, many of who would no longer be able to afford the cost of Disney's health insurance and may be forced to use public health care benefits..
"We are asking our delegates to pledge not to return to the three Disney hotels and to ask members of their congregations around the country to honor a boycott if the workers ask us to do so. We will continue to pray for justice for the Disney hotel workers and for the larger Anaheim community," said Rev. Henry Atkins. As of yet a boycott has not been called, but workers are preparing for the possibility in their ongoing fight for affordable health insurance.
Last month the City of Anaheim granted a $40 million dollar subsidy to the Garden Walk project, a hotel project that Disney is reportedly in negotiations to operate. "Disney is trying to force us to pay for the cost of health insurance for their workers who might be forced onto public assistance," said Anaheim City Councilwoman Lorri Galloway.
2,300 Disney hotel workers employed as restaurant servers, dishwashers, housekeepers, front desk agents, and bellmen at the three Disneyland Hotels, Paradise Pier Hotel, Disneyland Hotel, and Grand California Hotel, have been working without a union contract since February 2008.
So hundreds of delegates to the National Convention of the Episcopal Church will join hundreds of workers, community supporters and other faith leaders to march on Disneyland and rally in support of Disney hotel workers. The march will take place on Tuesday, July 14 at 4:30 p.m. with a rally at the Anaheim Convention Center. At 5:00 p.m. the march to Disneyland will begin.
The crux of the fight is over Disney's proposals to increase costs and raise eligibility requirements for health care, and to establish part time classifications. The Company's proposals would produce substantial hardship for Disney hotel workers, many of who would no longer be able to afford the cost of Disney's health insurance and may be forced to use public health care benefits..
"We are asking our delegates to pledge not to return to the three Disney hotels and to ask members of their congregations around the country to honor a boycott if the workers ask us to do so. We will continue to pray for justice for the Disney hotel workers and for the larger Anaheim community," said Rev. Henry Atkins. As of yet a boycott has not been called, but workers are preparing for the possibility in their ongoing fight for affordable health insurance.
Last month the City of Anaheim granted a $40 million dollar subsidy to the Garden Walk project, a hotel project that Disney is reportedly in negotiations to operate. "Disney is trying to force us to pay for the cost of health insurance for their workers who might be forced onto public assistance," said Anaheim City Councilwoman Lorri Galloway.
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