Walt Disney World Cast Members overwhelmingly vote YES to ACCEPT $18 Per Hour minimum pay deal!

Walt Disney World’s largest union collective, the Service Trades Council Union (STCU) who represent over 45,000 Walt Disney World Cast Members, announced on March 23 that they had reached a tentative agreement with Disney on a new contract for Walt Disney World Cast Members.

The agreement with Disney increases Cast Members pay to $18 per hour by the end of this year.

Fast forward to today, Wednesday. March 29, 2023, and Cast Members have voted YES to accept the deal, with the hourly increases now set to go into effect immediately, with retroactive pay backdated to October 2022.

The vote was 97% YES, with more than 12,500 Cast Members casting a vote.

On hearing the news, Walt Disney World President Jeff Vahle issued the following statement after the vote passed:

Our cast members have always been at the heart of the Walt Disney World experience, and we are thrilled that, with the support of the union, they have overwhelmingly approved this new five-year agreement that significantly increases wages, alongside our leading benefits program that includes affordable medical coverage and more. Frontline employees also have access to 100 percent paid tuition for higher education through the Disney Aspire program.

For Cast Members that currently earn $15 per hour, retroactive pay to October 2022 will be at $16 per hour. The rate will immediately increase to $17 per hour when the deal is ratified.

Rate will then increase again to $18 per hour in December.

According to the union, Walt Disney World Cast Members that are making the minimum wage currently, this contract provides over 36% general wage increases over the life of the agreement.

Every Cast Member will receive a raise of between $5.50 and $8.60 by the end of the contract which runs through October 2026, with the first $3 coming this year.

In addition to the pay increase, the deal also includes 8 weeks of paid Child Bonding Leave, a benefit that is not included in the current contract.

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