Posts tagged Actors’ Equity Association
Matt Stone Assures Actors’ Equity That Casa Bonita Isn’t Killing Off Black Bart
September 25, 2025 // With Casa Bonita’s seasonal pop-up “Casa BOOnita” right around the corner, South Park co-creator Matt Stone, who famously acquired and renovated the Lakewood, Colorado institution at great cost with Trey Parker, spoke to The Denver Post in an attempt to assuage concerns about the loss of jobs and shifts by unionized employees as well as the retirement of certain beloved characters. Stone called the accusations levied against him by Actor’s Equity a “falsehood,” saying of his and his partner’s devotion to the performing staff, “Obviously, Trey Parker is not going to eliminate Black Bart.”
Chippendales Dancers Levy Unfair Labor Practices Complaint After Joining Union
December 30, 2024 // Chippendales performers and their newly joined union claim the “Broadway of burlesque” stars are considerably underpaid compared with other entertainers on the Las Vegas Strip and around town. Shields is calling on Chippendales Entertainment to recognize Equity as Chippendales dancers’ representative and engage in good-faith negotiations to provide “world-class” wages and benefits fit for “world-class” performers.
A first: Chippendales at the Rio to unionize
October 10, 2024 // The Chipps move to Equity status could trigger a series of similar efforts in shows across Las Vegas. Such production companies as Cirque du Soleil, Spiegelworld and Adam Steck’s SPI Entertainment lineup (which has “Thunder” on its roster) are non-union. But none of these casts have formally moved to organize. Nationally, Equity also represents strip-club employees, and also Disneyland character performers. Las Vegas is rife with club performers, and atmospheric entertainers (Area15 is expanding by 35 acres, for instance), eligible to seek Equity status. Equity reps clearly want the Chipps show to serve as a toe-hold to increased membership across Las Vegas. So do the dancers who voted to organize.
Actors’ Equity Association halts future development contracts in wake of stalled negotiations
June 21, 2024 // Actors’ Equity Association, the labor union representing more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers in live theater, has followed through on a notice it had given to cease issuing contracts for work on its Development Agreement, effective immediately.
Disneyland Unionization Shuts Down Attractions: 2,000 Cast Members Gear Up for Major Protests
June 6, 2024 // Nearly 2,000 cast members have voted to unionize at Disneyland Resort in California, sparking concerns from the House of Mouse, so much so that the company is rumored to be looking into closing down experiences and attractions amidst the possibility of protests breaking out.
Disneyland will work with union representing character performers
June 4, 2024 // While most of Disneyland's 35,000 employees are represented by 26 unions, the park's 1,100 character performers and 600 parade performers and support staff had not been unionized until now. California's minimum wage increased to $16 an hour in 2024 with the hourly rate set to rise to $18 in 2025. After a lengthy court fight, Anaheim's Measure L boosted Disneyland's minimum wage to nearly $20 an hour.
Disneyland character performers vote to unionize
May 21, 2024 // The group had announced a union organizing effort in February before filing for a vote with the National Labor Relations Board in April. There are more than 21,000 Disneyland “cast member” employees, who are represented by more than a dozen unions. Those unionized jobs include workers in retail, food service, security, pyrotechnic, and hair and makeup.
Disney Reacts to Mickey Mouse, Cinderella Unionization – What Happens Next?
April 22, 2024 // The move comes after the group announced a union organizing effort in February, a process that often faces challenges before reaching the stage of filing for a vote. However, on Wednesday, the union revealed that it had submitted cards signed by over two-thirds of the 1,700 employees, requesting the National Labor Relations Board to oversee an election. President of Equity, Kate Shindle, highlighted the historical context, noting that character performers at Disneyland Resort have remained non-unionized since the park’s inception in the 1950s. She emphasized the disparity as other workers in the park unionized over the years. The momentum for union organizing has surged, particularly following significant contract victories that resulted in substantial pay raises for union members, including those at Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
Unions are getting bolder in targeting Big Business
April 19, 2024 // The UAW on Thursday secured a federally sanctioned unionization vote for workers at the 6,100-person Mercedes-Benz factory in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. Pharmacists at multiple CVS stores are moving to join a new union as part of a growing backlash to what they say are unsafe work conditions, Axios' Maya Goldman reports. The Actors' Equity Association is seeking a vote to organize the 1,700 live performers at Disneyland after more than two-thirds signed union authorization cards.
Disneyland’s Mickey Mouse and Cinderella performers may unionize
February 20, 2024 // Labor organizers announced the campaign Tuesday, saying performers want better safety conditions and scheduling policies to help them keep the magic alive for visitors. While most of the more than 35,000 workers at the Disneyland Resort in Southern California already have labor unions, about 1,700 performers in parades, character actors and support staff do not.