At a press conference today, UniteHere Local 11 announced Disney Hotel workers will be on a water-only fast beginning February 9th for health and safety issues at work.
For more than two years now, more than 2,000 hotel workers have been without a contract. For these hotel workers this means the workload has increased causing stress and pressure from management while staffing has decreased. Because of this, hotel workers have been experiencing health problems including heart attacks and strokes. Musa Sharaf who gave 13 years of service as a cook to Disney, died on the job in January of 2009 due to a heart attack.
Today, his widow Basema Sharaf stood beside the Disney workers and shared how her husband would “ complain of a lot of stress at work, especially in the last year of his life after cutbacks in staffing.” She said her husband would go to work an hour early, unpaid, just to catch up on his work.
“Eight Disneyland hotel workers, two LAX food service employees, who are also UniteHere Local 11 members, and one adult son of a Disneyland Hotel worker will refrain from eating. Fasters will consume only water. For the duration of the fast, participants will remain, 24-hours a day, in front of the Grand Californian Hotel, sleeping in tents on the sidewalk and surrounded by a large shrine of injured workers.”
Daily events starting Feb. 9, 2010
(Here are a few)
Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2010 - Kick-off Candle Light Vigil - 5 p.m. 1600 Disneyland Dr.
Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2010 - Make-a-bed action & rally - 5 p.m. 1600 Disneyland Dr.
Thursday, Feb. 11, 2010 - Union Solidarity March - 5 p.m. 1600 Disneyland Dr.
Friday, Feb. 12, 2010 - Community Support Rally - 5 p.m. 1600 Disneyland Dr.
Saturday, Feb. 13, 2010 - Day of Music, featuring Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine.
3 p.m. “Simba Lot” Disney Parking Lot, off Disneyland Dr. (near Paradise Pier Hotel - watch for signs)
Sunday, Feb. 14, 2010 - Valentine’s Day Children’s Art Action - featuring folklorico dancers, drum lessons, and valentine card making - 2 p.m. 1600 Disneyland Dr.
Monday, Feb. 15, 2010-Please join Speaker-Elect John Perez and other local elected officials for a President's Day meet and greet with fasting Disney Hotel Workers- 1:00 P.M. in front of the Grand Californian Hotel
Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2010 - UniteHere Rally (union-wide action) 5 p.m. 1600 Disneyland Dr.
Daily Prayer at 7 am
