Disneyland Agrees Raise Minimum Wage For California Staff To 15 An Hour

(RTTNews) - Walt Disney Co.'s (DIS) Disneyland has agreed to give its workers in California pay raise, thus ending a lengthy dispute over pay hike at Disney's Anaheim resort.

Disneyland Resort said it has reached agreement with its largest labor unions for a minimum wage rate increase of 40 percent within two years of the agreement. Unions that represent about 10,000 Disneyland workers accepted Disney's contract to raise hourly wages to $15 an hour starting from next year.

Currently, the minimum wage at Disneyland is $11 an hour. The new contract will immediately increase pay by 20% to $13.25 an hour. From January 1, 2019, the $15 per hour rate will go into effect. It will be further hiked to $15.45 in June of 2020.

A full-time cast member who currently earns $11 an hour would earn an additional $8,000 per year, the company said.

"Disneyland Resort has long taken pride in providing an exceptional employee experience, and this agreement sets a new bar with minimum wages that are among the highest in the country. Our unprecedented offer shows our commitment and care for our cast members and is the largest increase in our history," said Josh D'Amaro, president, Disneyland Resort.

The new contract deal will enable Disney to reach California's mandatory $15 an hour minimum wage three years before it goes into effect. California has amended its labor code with planned statewide increase each year until minimum wages reach $15 per hour in 2022.