Lego Retailer “brick specialists” at Downtown Disney want to assemble a union after taking their organizing efforts public.
About two dozen union organizers and Lego Retailer workers 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 the very best is nice sufficient,’” mentioned Hunter Gulino, a brick specialist for the final three years. “We need to construct the very 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 Industrial Employees Native 324, which represents Disney theme park retail employees.
An Anaheim Resort district minimal wage legislation additionally served as a catalyst.
After a prolonged courtroom battle, the Walt Disney Co. started complying with the legislation two years in the past and agreed to a $233-million settlement within the class-action case that an Orange County decide just lately authorised.
The measure covers not solely theme park employees, but additionally Downtown Disney retailers.
Lego responded by elevating wages in accordance with the legislation and issuing again pay, however brick specialists — who interact with friends, work the money register and inventory Lego merchandise within the retailer — claimed that administration minimize worker hours within the aftermath.
“I used to be on the retailer a complete lot extra earlier than Measure L,” Gulino mentioned, referring to Anaheim’s wage legislation.
“Numerous us have complaints about our scheduling,” added Melissa Gonzalez, a four-year brick specialist. “After raises and again pay, they seemingly minimize our hours down so they’d not need to pay out a lot for his or her workers.”
Lego didn’t reply to a request for remark.
Different office points body the union battle forward, comparable to a correctly functioning air-con system coming off the heels of a sweltering summer season when folks crowded the shop to peruse its merchandise.
“Our air conditioner hasn’t labored correctly in in all probability 5 years, in line with considered one of my co-workers,” Gulino mentioned. “It really works simply effective upstairs, however it doesn’t have nice circulation. Downstairs, it’s a sea of friends and it will get extremely popular.”
In line with 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 workers simply outdoors of Disneyland’s gates.
Extra just lately, Employees 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, workers 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 got so many superior friends that are available in already loopy concerning the Disney-licensed [Lego] units,” Gulino mentioned. “It makes work really feel loads 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 workers who could also be involved in becoming a member of a union,” she mentioned. “I need to be sure that Lego workers are handled with respect and are compensated pretty. It’s a spot that we like to work at.”
