Lego Retailer “brick specialists” at Downtown Disney need to assemble a union after taking their organizing efforts public.
About two dozen union organizers and Lego Retailer staff gathered Monday morning on the flagship location in Anaheim to current administration with a union petition.
It marked the primary time retail Lego Retailer employees in america have tried to type a union.
“We love the Lego Group’s mission assertion that ‘solely one of the best is nice sufficient,’” stated Hunter Gulino, a brick specialist for the final three years. “We need to construct one of the best office doable right here at Downtown Disney. There are points we imagine a union will assist us resolve.”
The union marketing campaign started in March when Gulino contacted organizers with United Meals and Business Staff Native 324, which represents Disney theme park retail employees.
An Anaheim Resort district minimal wage regulation additionally served as a catalyst.
After a prolonged court docket battle, the Walt Disney Co. started complying with the regulation two years in the past and agreed to a $233-million settlement within the class-action case that an Orange County choose lately authorized.
The measure covers not solely theme park employees, but additionally Downtown Disney retailers.
Lego responded by elevating wages in accordance with the regulation and issuing again pay, however brick specialists — who have interaction with friends, work the money register and inventory Lego merchandise within the retailer — claimed that administration reduce worker hours within the aftermath.
“I used to be on the retailer a complete lot extra earlier than Measure L,” Gulino stated, referring to Anaheim’s wage regulation.
“A whole lot of us have complaints about our scheduling,” added Melissa Gonzalez, a four-year brick specialist. “After raises and again pay, they seemingly reduce our hours down so they’d not must pay out a lot for his or her staff.”
Lego didn’t reply to a request for remark.
Different office points body the union struggle forward, similar to a correctly functioning air con system coming off the heels of a sweltering summer time when individuals crowded the shop to peruse its merchandise.
“Our air conditioner hasn’t labored correctly in most likely 5 years, in response to one in all my co-workers,” Gulino stated. “It really works simply high-quality upstairs, however it doesn’t have nice circulation. Downstairs, it’s a sea of friends and it will get very popular.”
In response to the UFCW, about 80% of Disneyland Resort employees are unionized — a determine that features a pocket of Downtown Disney retailers. The union already represents World of Disney retailer staff simply outdoors of Disneyland’s gates.
Extra lately, Staff United Native 50 helped Starbucks baristas in Downtown Disney set up a union.
The Lego Retailer employs greater than 60 nonmanagerial brick specialists who could be union-eligible.
With the petition served, Lego can reply by voluntarily recognizing the union.
If the corporate declines, staff can have the Nationwide Labor Relations Board schedule an election on the query of unionizing with UFCW.
For Gulino, working on the Downtown Disney Lego Retailer helps create what he calls “magical moments,” whether or not serving to construct re-creations of Disneyland’s famed geese or churros for friends.
“We’ve so many superior friends that are available already loopy in regards to the Disney-licensed [Lego] units,” Gulino stated. “It makes work really feel quite a bit simpler, simply because the friends are so superior.”
With a union, he desires to have a voice in his office.
Gonzalez agrees.
“I need to be part of setting a precedent for my office and for some other future Lego staff who could also be considering becoming a member of a union,” she stated. “I need to be sure that Lego staff are handled with respect and are compensated pretty. It’s a spot that we like to work at.”
