Disney Theme Parks Can Reopen, Claims Unions
In a move meant to reassure the government and health officials, Disneyland employee unions have sent a letter to California governor Gavin Newsom telling him that Disneyland and theme parks can be safely reopened.
The Hollywood Reporter says that seven unions that represent 10,000 employees of Disneyland Resort have called on Newsom to release guidelines for reopening in a letter sent to his office. Before the letter was sent, a rally made up of fans and employees was held in the park.
The letter from the unions is a turnaround for their initial position back in June, where they expressed dissatisfaction with the health and safety measures Disney had put in place in its theme parks.
According to the letter, Disney had revealed a testing program that the unions approved of. The company has also provided the unions with details on theme park ventilation, PPEs, and social distancing measures that would protect both employees and guests.
As pointed out by USA Today, Disneyland was initially set to reopen on July 17 after being closed since March. However, the reopening did not push through because of the lack of routine testing as well as the rising number of coronavirus infections in California at the time.
Now that Disney has addressed worker concerns, the unions are now calling on Newsom to work with them and prevent the further loss of jobs within the theme park industry. According to the unions, public health agencies working with workers would result in more effective prevention strategies as the workers are aware of the challenges on the ground.
The appeal from Disneyland employees comes after the chief of Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products asked Newsom for help. Josh D’Amaro, the Disney Parks chief, appealed to Newsom to provide them with “fair and equitable” guidelines.
D’Amaro cited the Disney World theme park in Florida as evidence of Disney’s capability to safely reopen its theme parks. According to him, the park’s reopening shows that the company can follow any health and safety guidelines the state may impose on them.
Just some of the health and safety measures in place at Disney World include protocols for sanitation and disinfection, increased handwashing stations, mandatory temperature checks, and shortened park hours.
The theme park also lowered the number of people it would allow in, as well as prohibiting guests from eating while walking since it was being used as an excuse to remove masks while in the park.
Whether Disneyland gets to reopen again will depend on Newsom and the state of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States. As of its Oct. 19 update, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country at 8,128,524 people. Deaths caused by COVID-19 are now at 218,986 people.