The National Labor Relations Board ruled this week that Walt Disney World Resort did not violate the law when the company refused to give $1,000 bonuses to its largest union unless its members approved a contract first.
After the corporate tax cut approved by Republicans in Congress back in January, Disney announced it would give $1,000 one-time cash bonuses to 125,000 domestic workers.
The Service Trades Council Union is a coalition of six unions representing nearly 36,000 Walt Disney World cast members which has been negotiating wages with Disney. The STCU filed an unfair labor complaint against Disney, alleging the company was retaliating against unionized cast members by refusing to give them the $1,000 bonus until they approved Disney’s wage offer. Back in December, Walt Disney World union members overwhelmingly voted ‘No’ on a contract that would have given employees a raise of at least 50 cents an hour. Disney said, they believe the 6 to 10 percent wage increase was fair.
According to a letter from David Cohen, the NLRB’s regional director in the Tampa office, the agency dismissed the union’s complaint, saying there was no evidence Disney showed an “anti-union animus” and because it appeared to not have a history of paying bonuses to union members.
The union plans to appeal the decision. Labor talks between Disney and the union are scheduled to resume June 8.