In Stunning Move, Unions Accept Disneyland Offer

In an extraordinary move, leaders of five unions representing 3,000 workers at Disneyland decided Monday to accept a contract proposal, even though it was twice rejected by a majority of the voting members.

In a flier to be distributed to members today, the five-union negotiating committee says it will sign Disney’s “last, best and final offer because it is a hard-won agreement that Disney refuses to change.”

The 30-member committee said it had little choice but to take the action, given that it did not have the authority to call a strike because fewer than two-thirds of the voters rejected the contract offer.

“Without the serious threat of a long strike,” the flier says, “Disney has no incentive to change their offer.”

Disney officials did not return telephone calls Monday.

The five-union committee can legally sign the contract offer, despite the majority rejection by the membership, because bylaws governing two of the five larger unions at Disneyland give that authority.

“I don’t believe this,” said Sue Kemp, a 24-year Disneyland worker and union member. “They’re going to have a lot of unhappy people.”

None of the leaders of the five Disneyland unions would comment Monday.