For Disneyland Resort’s licensed cosmetologists, makeup and hair was something they did very well two years ago. However, until October 2019, ensuring that any Disney princess did not have a day where many things seemed to go wrong did not cut it. Therefore, Rebekah Pedersen, a cosmetologist, turned into one of Disney’s most outspoken employees in the 2018 campaign related to the living wage. Pedersen talked to reporters about how painful it was to live her life from a car.
Back then, it appeared that media outlets were not at all concerned regarding cast members. However, at Walt Disney, all raises were worth media praise.
That was what the IATSE Local 706 won for around a hundred backstage employees at Disneyland Resort. Deserea Parrish was one of those workers. Profiled in the OC Weekly Cover Story for February 2018, Disney worker Parrish wondered whether doing what she always wanted at the House of Mouse would ever let her earn a living.
The year 2019 was a time when Disney was exempted from the living-wage legislation of Anaheim city. Parrish began the year with $13.70 as her hourly wage despite working at the company for seven years, which included four years in the cosmetology department. A union representative, Parrish found it slightly nerve-wracking and an excellent experience as she joined a team of negotiators.
On October 01, 2019, union members approved a three-year agreement that set $17 as the hourly minimum wage. Parrish was in a role that required higher skill levels, so she made $20 an hour. She regarded it as life-changing as it let her think about her future back then and not feel like she was using all her monthly earnings to cover her monthly expenses. At the time, she was able to live within her means.
The union eventually yielded to Disney Management Rights, which let the company change or end, with no negotiation, cherished perks like special enamel pins, holiday passes, sign-ins. Nevertheless, cosmetologists got the entitlement to proudly use their IATSE union pins when at work.
Parrish felt that higher wages made her and other Disneyland Resort staffers’ work appear more respectable. One of those works was to prepare Prince Charming, Cinderella and Tinkerbell for the 2019 Main Street Electrical Parade.
