Have Questions?

We've collected answers to common questions we've heard about our unionization efforts. If you have questions that aren't answered here, please email organizing@actorsequity.org.

Weingarten Rights and Union Stewards

• What are Weingarten Rights?
• Can I have a union rep with me at any meeting with management?
• Do I have to be a member of Equity to ask to have union representative present?
• Do I have to be the Cast Member under investigation to ask to have a union representative present?
• How do I request a union representative to join me for a disciplinary meeting?
• How do I notify my manager that I’d like a union representative present at a disciplinary meeting?
• Do I have to request a union representative before the meeting starts?
• What’s a union steward?
• How do I become a union steward?

Becoming an Equity Member

• Do I have to join?
• Do I have to join now?
• Is there a disadvantage to joining later?
• What does my membership enable me to do?
• Does my membership create any restrictions on where I am able to work?
• What are the dues? When will I have to start paying them?

Bargaining

• When does bargaining for our first contract take place?
• Who does the bargaining?
• How does the bargaining caucus know what to ask for? How do I make sure my priorities are taken into consideration?
• If I’m not a part of the bargaining caucus, how will I find out what’s happening during bargaining?
• If I’m not part of the bargaining caucus, are there other ways for me to be involved on the road to our first contract?
• What happens when the bargaining caucus and the Disneyland team agree to terms for a new contract?
• When will our new contract take effect?
• How long will the new contract last?

Weingarten Rights and Union Stewards

What are Weingarten Rights?

• You are entitled to having union representation present during any investigatory meeting or interview related to discipline at work. These rights are secured by the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) Section 7. Learn more.

Can I have a union rep with me at any meeting with management?

• No, Weingarten Rights only apply to meetings related to fact-finding in matters of discipline, but that includes meetings at any stage of an investigation into something that might result in disciplinary action. A meeting in which the disciplinary consequences have already been decided and are being communicated to an employee is not subject to Weingarten Rights.

Do I have to be a member of Equity to ask to have union representative present?

• Every cast member working in the eligible unit, despite union status, has Weingarten Rights.

Do I have to be the Cast Member under investigation to ask to have a union representative present?

• No – you can invoke your Weingarten Rights at any meeting where the employer is asking questions related to someone’s work performance, including a meeting where you’re being asked about a situation where no one in particular is accused of having done anything wrong.

How do I request a union representative to join me for a disciplinary meeting?

• For now, email Christa Jackson, Equity’s Senior Business Rep overseeing the Disneyland contract, at cjackson@actorsequity.org, or call the Equity office at 323-978-8080. We are in the process of setting up a system of union stewards who will be trained to represent the union in Weingarten Meetings in the future.

How do I notify my manager that I’d like a union representative present at a disciplinary meeting?

• If you have enough advance notice of the meeting, you can ask Equity to notify your employer. However, if you are being asked to meet immediately, you can simply say, “I would like to have a union representative at this meeting” to invoke your rights, and the meeting has to be paused until a representative can be present (either in person or by phone/Zoom).

Do I have to request a union representative before the meeting starts?

• If you realize partway through a meeting that you’d like to invoke your Weingarten Rights, you may do so at any point in the meeting.

What’s a union steward?

• A union steward is a fellow Cast Member who has also been specially trained and authorized by the union to participate as the union representative in Weingarten meetings.

How do I become a union steward?

• Watch this website (and your email) for additional information about the steward program, coming this summer.

Becoming an Equity Member

Do I have to join?

• You are not required to join the union. Everyone whose work is covered by the Equity contract will pay working dues that cover the creation and enforcement of the contract, and everyone in that category will have equal access to union stewards and Equity staff to advocate on their behalf. But there are certain benefits to being a member of Equity outside of the rights granted by your contract (see below).

Do I have to join now?

• No – you can join when you are ready.

Is there a disadvantage to joining later?

• The sooner you join, the sooner you can take advantage of the full benefits of union membership. Because annual dues are billed in the fall, you pay the same amount if you join now or if you join in October.
  
  Additionally, Disneyland Cast Members who join prior to the ratification of your first contract will have their initiation fees waived. Following contract ratification, we will have more information on the initiation fee.

What does my membership enable me to do?

• Being part of a labor union joins your voice with millions of other workers fighting for better working conditions.
• Add your voice to Equity’s political power advocating for worker power and arts funding on the state and federal level.
• Your Equity membership makes it easier to join other performing arts unions, including SAG-AFTRA and AGVA.
• You can work on Equity contract at other venues, both in California and around the country. You get priority access to Equity auditions.
• Equity-League Pension and 401(k) retirement savings.
• Access to Actors Federal Credit Union.
• Union discounts.
• Member-only events and workshops.

Does my membership create any restrictions on where I am able to work?

• As an Equity member, you may not perform or stage manage in the theatre without an Equity contract. There is currently no restriction on working in other theme parks or private/corporate events.
  
  If you are offered employment without a union contract, contact the Equity office right away! Often, we can work with the employer to get you the contract you need. All communication between you and your union is strictly confidential.

What are the dues? When will I have to start paying them?

• Equity's dues structure has two components:
  • Basic dues: $176 annually, billed at $88 twice a year each May and November
  • Working dues: 2.5% of gross earnings under Equity contract, which are collected through weekly payroll deductions
• You begin paying basic dues with the first billing cycle after you join. You will begin paying working dues (via payroll deduction) as soon as your first Equity contract is ratified. Equity's billing periods for basic dues are May and November of each year; bills are mailed in April and October, and payment is due by May 31 and November 30, respectively. Payments can be made by credit card in Equity’s Member Portal. Additionally, payments can be made by phone or mailed to any Equity office. Check, money order or Visa/MasterCard/Discover/American Express is accepted.
• Disneyland members who join Equity prior to the ratification of your first contract will have their initiation fee waived. Following contract ratification, we will have more information on the initiation fee.

Bargaining

When does bargaining for our first contract take place?

• The timeline for bargaining will be set in conversation with Disneyland, but we expect to begin in early fall.

Who does the bargaining?

• A representative bargaining caucus elected by members of the bargaining unit will meet Disneyland representatives at the bargaining table, supported by Equity staff members including Executive Director Al Vincent, Jr., who will serve as lead negotiator, Senior Business Representative Christa Jackson, and others including legal counsel.

How does the bargaining caucus know what to ask for?

• How do I make sure my priorities are taken into consideration? Throughout the summer, there will be both formal and informal ways to share your priorities with the bargaining caucus, including a survey and focus groups. Once the bargaining caucus is elected, you will know who they are, so you can also have share your thoughts with them directly.

If I’m not a part of the bargaining caucus, how will I find out what’s happening during bargaining?

• There will be an email newsletter called Dispatches from the Bargaining Table in which members of the caucus will share updates with the rest of the bargaining unit. Additionally, we will be forming a contract action team, which is a group of Cast Members who will support the negotiations by keeping the rest of the bargaining unit informed not only of what’s happening in bargaining, but also what steps everyone can take to help out, such as sharing personal stories with the bargaining team, expressing support on social media and more.

If I’m not part of the bargaining caucus, are there other ways for me to be involved on the road to our first contract?

• You can join the contract action team, which is a group of Cast Members who will support the negotiations by keeping the rest of the bargaining unit informed not only of what’s happening in bargaining, but also what steps everyone can take to help out, such as sharing personal stories with the bargaining team, expressing support on social media and more. Or you can participate in the activities the action team organizes.

What happens when the bargaining caucus and the Disneyland team agree to terms for a new contract?

• The final step will be a ratification vote, which means every member who will work under the contract gets to cast a ballot to accept or reject the contract. If 50% +1 of the votes cast are in favor of the contract, it takes effect. You must be an active member of Equity to vote on the contract.

When will our new contract take effect?

• The contract will take effect as soon as it passes a ratification vote.

How long will the new contract last?

• This is one of the terms of the contract that will be up for negotiation in bargaining.