Disneyland hotel workers reject contract proposal

The union representing the hotel workers of the Disneyland Resort, Unite Here 11, has soundly rejected the latest contract offer from Disney, most likely escalating the labor dispute to a full-on strike. The OC Register reports that the union's members rejected the offer by 92 percent, and although voting members accounted for nearly half of the group's membership — 1,079 out of 2,100 — only 89 voted in favor of the proposal. "It was quite an overwhelming rejection by a majority of 92 percent -- a much higher percentage than what I predicted," said Unite Here 11 President Tom Walsh. "Hopefully, this will be something that helps break the gridlock."

The dispute between the two parties centers on health-care premiums; Disney wants to move the union members into the company's Disney Signature plan, one of seven it offers that require varying degrees of employee contributions. The union, on the other hand, wants Disney to keep things as they are, whereby the workers get nearly-free health care from a union trust that Disney pays into. The dispute has been ongoing over the last year and a half, when Unite Here's old contract expired.