This just in
http://money.cnn.com/2004/11/05/news/fortune500/disney.reut/ :sohappy: :sohappy:
http://money.cnn.com/2004/11/05/news/fortune500/disney.reut/ :sohappy: :sohappy:
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No Strike
- Thread starter Marijil
- Start date
jcraycraft
Member
Disney labor deal turns into legal skirmish
Here is the latest information as of this morning. Looks like 2 of the 6 unions were not include in the talks.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/busi...nov06,0,2416965.story?coll=orl-home-headlines
Disney labor deal turns into legal skirmish
`Secret' talks violate federal law, union says
By Sean Mussenden
Sentinel Staff Writer
November 6, 2004
An unprecedented legal battle emerged Friday among leaders of Walt Disney World's largest group of unions, threatening to delay a vote on a new contract for more than 20,000 workers.
Leaders of four of the six unions that make up the Service Trades Council reached a tentative agreement with the company Thursday night on a new three-year deal. But the two remaining union leaders would not support it, saying they were excluded from the final negotiating session.
One of those unions, Teamsters Local 385, representing costumed characters and bus drivers, filed an unfair labor practice complaint Friday against its fellow unions and Disney, alleging the deal was reached in "secret negotiations" that violated federal law.
Trades Council workers are set to vote on the contract Thursday. In their complaint, the Teamsters asked federal labor officials to delay the vote until a new agreement can be worked out in a legal negotiating session.
Thomas J. Pilacek, an attorney for the Teamsters, said the other unions violated Trades Council rules by not inviting a Teamsters representative and the head of Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Local 362 to the final negotiating session. The complaint, filed with the National Labor Relations Board, also accuses Disney of not bargaining in good faith by only dealing with four of the unions at the end.
"This was an outrageous backroom deal," Pilacek said.
A Disney spokeswoman said it had not formally received the complaint and would not comment.
Joe Condo, head of the Trades Council and one of the six unions, said his attorneys think the meeting was neither secret nor illegal. But, he said, he wanted to end the dispute by setting up a meeting Monday where the six union heads and Disney could formally discuss the last offer.
Local Teamsters President Mike Stapleton said late Friday that the meeting had been arranged, and he hoped it would resolve the dispute.
"I don't know what their motivation is [in filing the complaint], why they're trying to separate us, other than they're trying to get it voted down," Condo said.
If the same tentative agreement emerges from the Monday meeting, the Teamsters and Morty Miller, president of HERE Local 362, representing theme park and custodial workers, said they still will urge their combined 6,000 members to vote it down.
Miller said the offer doesn't meet the needs of his members, because the pay increases are too small and health-care premium hikes are too large. He would not comment on potential legal action by his union.
Squabbles among union heads have been common in the long history of the Trades Council. But longtime observers said it had never reached the point of one union taking legal action against another.
Victor Devinatz, a professor specializing in labor relations at Illinois State University, said smaller unions commonly join together in councils to get a better deal when dealing with large employers such as Disney.
It's rare for a council to reach a deal with a company unless all council members agree, he said. It's even more rare for one member union to take legal action against the others.
It was unclear whether the legal tiff would have a permanent impact on the Trade Council unions' relationships.
Stapleton said it "might create a permanent rift," though he hoped not.
Condo said it would not. "I can work with anybody to get the best contract for my members," he said.
Here is the latest information as of this morning. Looks like 2 of the 6 unions were not include in the talks.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/busi...nov06,0,2416965.story?coll=orl-home-headlines
Disney labor deal turns into legal skirmish
`Secret' talks violate federal law, union says
By Sean Mussenden
Sentinel Staff Writer
November 6, 2004
An unprecedented legal battle emerged Friday among leaders of Walt Disney World's largest group of unions, threatening to delay a vote on a new contract for more than 20,000 workers.
Leaders of four of the six unions that make up the Service Trades Council reached a tentative agreement with the company Thursday night on a new three-year deal. But the two remaining union leaders would not support it, saying they were excluded from the final negotiating session.
One of those unions, Teamsters Local 385, representing costumed characters and bus drivers, filed an unfair labor practice complaint Friday against its fellow unions and Disney, alleging the deal was reached in "secret negotiations" that violated federal law.
Trades Council workers are set to vote on the contract Thursday. In their complaint, the Teamsters asked federal labor officials to delay the vote until a new agreement can be worked out in a legal negotiating session.
Thomas J. Pilacek, an attorney for the Teamsters, said the other unions violated Trades Council rules by not inviting a Teamsters representative and the head of Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Local 362 to the final negotiating session. The complaint, filed with the National Labor Relations Board, also accuses Disney of not bargaining in good faith by only dealing with four of the unions at the end.
"This was an outrageous backroom deal," Pilacek said.
A Disney spokeswoman said it had not formally received the complaint and would not comment.
Joe Condo, head of the Trades Council and one of the six unions, said his attorneys think the meeting was neither secret nor illegal. But, he said, he wanted to end the dispute by setting up a meeting Monday where the six union heads and Disney could formally discuss the last offer.
Local Teamsters President Mike Stapleton said late Friday that the meeting had been arranged, and he hoped it would resolve the dispute.
"I don't know what their motivation is [in filing the complaint], why they're trying to separate us, other than they're trying to get it voted down," Condo said.
If the same tentative agreement emerges from the Monday meeting, the Teamsters and Morty Miller, president of HERE Local 362, representing theme park and custodial workers, said they still will urge their combined 6,000 members to vote it down.
Miller said the offer doesn't meet the needs of his members, because the pay increases are too small and health-care premium hikes are too large. He would not comment on potential legal action by his union.
Squabbles among union heads have been common in the long history of the Trades Council. But longtime observers said it had never reached the point of one union taking legal action against another.
Victor Devinatz, a professor specializing in labor relations at Illinois State University, said smaller unions commonly join together in councils to get a better deal when dealing with large employers such as Disney.
It's rare for a council to reach a deal with a company unless all council members agree, he said. It's even more rare for one member union to take legal action against the others.
It was unclear whether the legal tiff would have a permanent impact on the Trade Council unions' relationships.
Stapleton said it "might create a permanent rift," though he hoped not.
Condo said it would not. "I can work with anybody to get the best contract for my members," he said.
HennieBogan1966
Account Suspended
Oh here we go
So now the unions are fighting amongst themselves? That's great. Nice work unions.
Way to put your members first.
Wah, I didn't get invited, so I'm not playing.
So now the unions are fighting amongst themselves? That's great. Nice work unions.
Way to put your members first.
Wah, I didn't get invited, so I'm not playing.
BriJul
New Member
Wondering the same thing myself...especially since we're coming down in 5 days. Does this mean we might have scab CM's? Or none at all? Or will the CM's that are there be worrying about their contract status over their guests experience?Marijil said:
May sound real selfish, but I wouldn't really worry about it if we weren't putting down a months salary to go. But I also think the CM's should get what they deserve too. So I'm babbling now...must be over-excited.
As for CMscabs at D/L whenever they are close to striking they have all the sallery "blue IDs" go to housekeeping, foods, attractions, classes. Then the hourly who are not union also start taking classes. Each time a strike gets closer and closer to them without actually having management work the park, NOT YET!
However, the park D/L hasnt had a strike since 84 I think. I think that strike lasted 30 days??? Lots of bad publicity...The CMs strike line was formed at the inner monorail beam so you had to "cross the stike" to go to work or to the park. The park will still operate just on smaller scales of cast.
However, the park D/L hasnt had a strike since 84 I think. I think that strike lasted 30 days??? Lots of bad publicity...The CMs strike line was formed at the inner monorail beam so you had to "cross the stike" to go to work or to the park. The park will still operate just on smaller scales of cast.