Cast members are the reason Disney parks work, and entertainment cast members are a category of their own.Attractions, food and beverage, and merchandise cast members shape a large part of the guest experience, and none of that should be minimized. But entertainment cast members are doing something different. They are the heartbeat of the parks. They are what make a land feel like a place rather than a set. The parade performer holding a smile through a July afternoon in full costume. The character performer who makes a nervous four-year-old feel brave. The atmospheric group that turns a walkway into something you stop and watch.Plenty of guests plan entire trips around entertainment. They check parade times before they check ride wait times. They will skip an attraction to catch a show.It is physically demanding work with a short career runway, and the people doing it tend to be deeply committed to it.Which is why the news out of Disneyland this week matters.Disney has proposed a new contract that would eliminate paid parental leave and cut paid holidays for costumed performers at Disneyland.Credit: Disney Parks BlogWhat Disney Has Proposed To PerformersCostumed cast members and those who work behind the scenes of Disneyland’s parades are organized under the union Actors’ Equity Association.According to the Los Angeles Times, the association recently reported that Disney “has threatened to take that benefit away, as they negotiate a new contract that includes proposals for higher wages, among other items.”Union members say Disney’s current proposal does three things. It eliminates one day of holiday pay for full-time employees. It does not include paid parental leave. And it reduces the amount Disney matches on employee contributions to their 401(k) plans.Those details came from an April 6 email to Actors’ Equity Association leadership written by a Disney manager under the direction of Christie Sutherland, head of labor relations at Disney Experiences, which the Times reviewed.The proposal also limits the number of times a worker can give away a shift without managerial approval.Union members say the holiday being eliminated is Easter.Credit: Jeremy Wong, FlickrDisney’s Response to PerformersDisneyland Resort spokeswoman Jessica Jakary said the proposals may change and noted that the bargaining unit is new.She noted that these negotiations are not modifying an existing contract. They are establishing initial employment terms and conditions for the first time.Jakary stated that no benefits are being cut. The union disagrees.Why Both Sides Can Say Opposite ThingsThis is the part that confuses people, and it is worth understanding because it explains the entire dispute.Under the terms Disney set on its own, these employees received paid parental leave before the union organized.Once they voted to unionize, Disney and the union began negotiating a completely new contract from the ground up. In that process, existing benefits were not guaranteed to carry over.That is how Disney can say no benefits are being cut while workers say they are losing them. Technically, nothing is being removed from a contract because there was no contract. Practically, performers who had paid parental leave last year may not have it under the proposed terms.Both statements are accurate. They are just describing different things.