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MiceAge Rumor: Disney Jr. Closing In April '17 - Marvel Plans???
- Thread starter TP2000
- Start date
Curious Constance
Well-Known Member
Bacon
Well-Known Member
I found this
Hello, I am a puppeteer for the Walt Disney Company and currently perform in the Disney Jr Live on Stage show at Disney California Adventure. As I’m sure you already know, it has officially been announced that the show will be closing on April 9th of this year, but what you may not know is the backstory.
In March of 2015, due to continuing safety concerns with the show, the cast petitioned to join AGVA (American Guild of Variety Artists) which is the current union representing singers, stage dancers, and comedians throughout the resort. Since safety concerns of the Disney Junior cast were continually being overlooked, it was decided that we needed a union to support us. Upon petitioning to vote, the company immediately removed all cast members from all other roles in the resort that were not Disney Jr Live on Stage (many cast members worked in the character department and were also character hosts).
As a result, many of the cast went from working multiple shifts a week to no hours at all (most of the part timers received no hours at all). It is against the law for a company to retaliate against workers before a union vote. Any change from daily operations can be seen as retaliation from the company. Not only were cast members removed from their other roles, but management would also post a new ‘informational unionization flyer’ in the green room backstage with ‘information about unionizing.’ Many of the ‘facts’ presented on the flyers were false and/or misleading. When it came time to vote, the majority of the cast voted to unionize, so AGVA is currently representing us.
The union aided us in presenting our case to the National Labor Board. As a result of the affidavits of many puppeteers, the National Labor Board took immediate action and presented Disney with a cease and desist order. In December of 2015, rather than take the case to court, the Walt Disney Company signed a settlement agreement (almost a year after the petition to vote – meaning most of the puppeteers were not getting full time hours for a year). The settlement agreement is public record through the National Labor Board. The agreement stated that everything must go back to the way it was before the vote.
All puppeteers were also to receive back pay plus interest for all of the hours that they lost out on as a result. However, at this point, many of the puppeteers had already quit because they couldn’t afford to live. The settlement agreement was signed by the company in December of 2015 and it has still not been fulfilled over a year later. Many of the puppeteers are not getting the hours they used to receive and back pay has not been distributed. We have been in contract negotiations since 2015 – a slow moving process.
In December of 2016 we heard rumor from reliable sources that Disney planned on closing the show, and as a result the union confronted the company asking if the rumors were true. They admitted that they had plans on closing the show and would expedite letting the cast know (the company typically notifies a cast of show closing 1-2 weeks before the closing date- for example, Mad T Party). In December, they officially announced to the cast that the show would be closing on April 9th 2017. However, shortly after, it will be re-opening as another Disney Jr Live on Stage show. It is rumored that it will consist of video screens and possibly one live performer. However, the show will NOT have puppets.
We were originally told that the the Disney Jr Live on Stage shows in Florida and Paris would be closing as well, however, there is no longer a projected date for those shows closing and their casts have not heard anything about potentially closing either. The puppeteers have gone through heck for the past two years as a result of unionizing- many laws were broken by Disney and rules bent. Not exactly the Disney Magic we’re all used to hearing about. And with the show coming to an end and contract negotiations still not being finished, it’s time for the public to hear about this.
Hello, I am a puppeteer for the Walt Disney Company and currently perform in the Disney Jr Live on Stage show at Disney California Adventure. As I’m sure you already know, it has officially been announced that the show will be closing on April 9th of this year, but what you may not know is the backstory.
In March of 2015, due to continuing safety concerns with the show, the cast petitioned to join AGVA (American Guild of Variety Artists) which is the current union representing singers, stage dancers, and comedians throughout the resort. Since safety concerns of the Disney Junior cast were continually being overlooked, it was decided that we needed a union to support us. Upon petitioning to vote, the company immediately removed all cast members from all other roles in the resort that were not Disney Jr Live on Stage (many cast members worked in the character department and were also character hosts).
As a result, many of the cast went from working multiple shifts a week to no hours at all (most of the part timers received no hours at all). It is against the law for a company to retaliate against workers before a union vote. Any change from daily operations can be seen as retaliation from the company. Not only were cast members removed from their other roles, but management would also post a new ‘informational unionization flyer’ in the green room backstage with ‘information about unionizing.’ Many of the ‘facts’ presented on the flyers were false and/or misleading. When it came time to vote, the majority of the cast voted to unionize, so AGVA is currently representing us.
The union aided us in presenting our case to the National Labor Board. As a result of the affidavits of many puppeteers, the National Labor Board took immediate action and presented Disney with a cease and desist order. In December of 2015, rather than take the case to court, the Walt Disney Company signed a settlement agreement (almost a year after the petition to vote – meaning most of the puppeteers were not getting full time hours for a year). The settlement agreement is public record through the National Labor Board. The agreement stated that everything must go back to the way it was before the vote.
All puppeteers were also to receive back pay plus interest for all of the hours that they lost out on as a result. However, at this point, many of the puppeteers had already quit because they couldn’t afford to live. The settlement agreement was signed by the company in December of 2015 and it has still not been fulfilled over a year later. Many of the puppeteers are not getting the hours they used to receive and back pay has not been distributed. We have been in contract negotiations since 2015 – a slow moving process.
In December of 2016 we heard rumor from reliable sources that Disney planned on closing the show, and as a result the union confronted the company asking if the rumors were true. They admitted that they had plans on closing the show and would expedite letting the cast know (the company typically notifies a cast of show closing 1-2 weeks before the closing date- for example, Mad T Party). In December, they officially announced to the cast that the show would be closing on April 9th 2017. However, shortly after, it will be re-opening as another Disney Jr Live on Stage show. It is rumored that it will consist of video screens and possibly one live performer. However, the show will NOT have puppets.
We were originally told that the the Disney Jr Live on Stage shows in Florida and Paris would be closing as well, however, there is no longer a projected date for those shows closing and their casts have not heard anything about potentially closing either. The puppeteers have gone through heck for the past two years as a result of unionizing- many laws were broken by Disney and rules bent. Not exactly the Disney Magic we’re all used to hearing about. And with the show coming to an end and contract negotiations still not being finished, it’s time for the public to hear about this.
GiveMeTheMusic
Well-Known Member
Um
Stevek
Well-Known Member
Wow, not that I visit it anymore (our kids are 16 & 17) but I will be disappointed for other families if it basically becomes a TV show. One of the things our kids loved was that the characters they loved from TV were "alive" and onstage in front of them. If they are going the cheap and uncreative route here (let's see what guests think before condemning it), they bulldoze away and bring something else in.
D
Deleted member 107043
Hmmm... I try to be a good citizen by supporting businesses that pay fair wages, demonstrate concern for worker safety and well-being, put forth efforts to hire underrepresented groups in every level in the organization, support the right of workers to organize, etc.. In short, I'm a "workers first" type of guy, but I wouldn't call myself militant about it, but how employers treat their employees does matter to me.
That said, there's something slightly distasteful about a Disneyland cast member airing their job grievances on a Disney fan site to people who are basically some of Disneyland's best customers. If you really are serious about the issue, and if you aren't getting support from management, your union, or the labor board then take it to the media, go on strike, or choose another legitimate channel to get the word out to the public. I'm sympathetic, but I've never really cared to read what goes on "backstage" at the parks in these kinds of forums. The last thing I'm interested in reading is a email complaint written by an employee to a Disney fan website.
That said, there's something slightly distasteful about a Disneyland cast member airing their job grievances on a Disney fan site to people who are basically some of Disneyland's best customers. If you really are serious about the issue, and if you aren't getting support from management, your union, or the labor board then take it to the media, go on strike, or choose another legitimate channel to get the word out to the public. I'm sympathetic, but I've never really cared to read what goes on "backstage" at the parks in these kinds of forums. The last thing I'm interested in reading is a email complaint written by an employee to a Disney fan website.
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GiveMeTheMusic
Well-Known Member
I don't know where the above post came from, but they did take it to the media:
http://www.ocweekly.com/news/is-disney-union-busting-california-adventure-puppeteers-7891181
http://www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-disneyland-puppets-20170208-story.html
D
Deleted member 107043
From what I understand one of the editors at MiceChat received the letter and posted it there.
Seems like the more appropriate way to handle it.
Phroobar
Well-Known Member
February 14th article by Dusty and his agenda.
http://micechat.com/152420-dca-photos-news-heartbreaker/
Ismael Flores
Well-Known Member
I agree.
How long has this show been running? What were the safety concerns? Why wasn't it an issue the year after the show opened?
Too many questions and something that really is to be dealt between them and the company not something that a Disney fan community needs to really know in my opinion.
We all have issues or differences in the places we work and always find the fault on the company but if it's not approached correctly then things don't get resolved. With all the new technology available now people are easily replaceable.
Maybe Disney can look in their wherehouse and come up with some old animatronics that can be reused to replace the puppets.
Didn't they just tear out a animatronic heavy show in Tokyo a couple years ago?
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In my opinion, I would say, good riddance! I mean, I like Sofia the First, I don't care about Doc Mcstuffins, but the Disney Junior shows I really hate are Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Jake and the Neverland Pirates. I know they're not aim to me, but they're making Mickey and friends act like idiots. And Mickey and friends are meant to be for everyone, not for preschoolers. But Mickey and the Roadster Racers is a better Disney Junior show. Since Ducktales is coming for a reboot on Disney XD, I would love to see Disney Channel make a revival of Disney Afternoon block and maybe have some articulated character costume stage shows like these for example.
But, that would be wishful thinking.
But, that would be wishful thinking.
Curious Constance
Well-Known Member
And Micechat posts it in an update and invite any reporters to contact them for more information. Seems seedy to me. Are they just taking everything being told to them as absolute fact?
D
Deleted member 107043
It's almost as if MiceChat has an anti-Disney management agenda.
Curious Constance
Well-Known Member
And can I just say something? I HATE when Disney fan sites combine politics with Disney. A couple weeks ago on Facebook, Dateline Disneyland posted several political posts in a row that had absolutely nothing to do with Disney. They then said if people didn't like it, to unfollow them. What was the heck was that???? Regardless of how I feel politically or if I agree 100% with their posts, it seems really, really ridiculous for a Disney fan page to become highly political, tell anyone that doesn't agree to stop following them, and then post a weekly update begging for people to donate money to keep them going?
Phroobar
Well-Known Member
Don't they always?
