Lego Store “brick specialists” at Downtown Disney are looking to assemble a union after taking their organizing efforts public.
About two dozen union organizers and Lego Store employees gathered Monday morning at the flagship location in Anaheim to present management with a union petition.
It marked the first time retail Lego Store workers in the United States have tried to form a union.
“We love the Lego Group’s mission statement that ‘only the best is good enough,’” said Hunter Gulino, a brick specialist for the last three years. “We want to build the best workplace possible here at Downtown Disney. There are issues we believe a union will help us resolve.”
The union campaign began in March when Gulino contacted organizers with United Food and Commercial Workers Local 324, which represents Disney theme park retail workers.
An Anaheim Resort district minimum wage law also served as a catalyst.
After a lengthy court battle, the Walt Disney Co. began complying with the law two years ago and agreed to a $233-million settlement in the class-action case that an Orange County judge recently approved.
The measure covers not only theme park workers, but also Downtown Disney retailers.
Lego responded by raising wages in accordance with the law and issuing back pay, but brick specialists — who engage with guests, work the cash register and stock Lego products in the store — claimed that management cut employee hours in the aftermath.
“I was at the store a whole lot more before Measure L,” Gulino said, referring to Anaheim’s wage law.
“A lot of us have complaints about our scheduling,” added Melissa Gonzalez, a four-year brick specialist. “After raises and back pay, they seemingly cut our hours down so they would not have to pay out so much for their employees.”
Lego did not respond to a request for comment.
Other workplace issues frame the union fight ahead, such as a properly functioning air conditioning system coming off the heels of a sweltering summer when people crowded the store to peruse its products.
“Our air conditioner hasn’t worked properly in probably five years, according to one of my co-workers,” Gulino said. “It works just fine upstairs, but it doesn’t have great circulation. Downstairs, it’s a sea of guests and it gets very hot.”
According to the UFCW, about 80% of Disneyland Resort workers are unionized — a figure that includes a pocket of Downtown Disney retailers. The union already represents World of Disney store employees just outside of Disneyland’s gates.
More recently, Workers United Local 50 helped Starbucks baristas in Downtown Disney organize a union.
The Lego Store employs more than 60 nonmanagerial brick specialists who would be union-eligible.
With the petition served, Lego can respond by voluntarily recognizing the union.
If the company declines, employees can have the National Labor Relations Board schedule an election on the question of unionizing with UFCW.
For Gulino, working at the Downtown Disney Lego Store helps create what he calls “magical moments,” whether helping build re-creations of Disneyland’s famed ducks or churros for guests.
“We have so many awesome guests that come in already crazy about the Disney-licensed [Lego] sets,” Gulino said. “It makes work feel a lot easier, just because the guests are so awesome.”
With a union, he wants to have a voice in his workplace.
Gonzalez agrees.
“I want to be a part of setting a precedent for my workplace and for any other future Lego employees who may be interested in joining a union,” she said. “I want to make sure that Lego employees are treated with respect and are compensated fairly. It’s a place that we love to work at.”
