Disney, Union Negotiators Reportedly Far From Accord : Labor: Contract is scheduled to end today. Workers will stay on job as talks continue on pay raises, uniforms, seniority.

The main labor agreement for Disneyland’s ride operators, cooks and other workers was scheduled to lapse early today after lengthy negotiations by union representatives and Walt Disney Co.

The two sides reportedly were far apart after discussions covering issues ranging from pay raises to whether workers can take their uniforms home after shifts.

Negotiators said workers will stay on their jobs while talks continue and no proposal has been put before members for ratification.

“There’s not been a vote set yet. We’re still in negotiations,” Disneyland spokesman Tom Brocato said.

At issue is the park’s “master agreement,” so named because it covers five unions representing 3,000 workers in most of the park’s operations, including ride operators, food servers and janitors. The work force at Disneyland, Orange County’s largest private employer, approaches 12,000 during the peak summer season.

“The major differences are economic and some language [changes],” said negotiator Mort Baum, field director for the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, Local 324, in Buena Park.

Some Disneyland workers who spoke on condition of anonymity said they are particularly concerned about a company proposal to make promotions on basis of merit alone, rather than considering seniority.

“That’s a thorny issue,” Baum acknowledged, “but I will say, in most contracts, seniority is the deciding factor [in promotions] as long as skill and ability are relatively equal.”

There is also concern among the park’s more senior employees about a Disney request to eliminate “lead” positions--higher-paid workers whose experience allows them to guide the relative newcomers in the nuances of running a theme park.

Though the talks are reportedly cordial, Disneyland’s labor force has seen the kind of downsizing and rapid change that have gripped other industries. The park, which recorded one of its worst years last year, made selective layoffs and offered enticements for senior workers to retire. An internal staff poll found that nearly half the workers at Disneyland believe the park’s quality has declined and that guests aren’t treated as well as in the past.

Most workers said they take pride in their jobs but believe their pay is average or poor. Disneyland wages top out at about $10 an hour for theme park workers under the master agreement.

Other unions in the negotiations are the Teamsters, Hotel and Restaurant Workers, Bakery and Confection Workers, and Service Employees International.

The last park-wide strike at Disneyland was in 1984 and lasted 22 days.