Judge Bars Screen Extras’ Plans for Disneyland Demonstration

The 6,000-member Screen Extras Guild, embroiled in a long-running dispute with movie and television producers, Friday was prohibited by a judge from staging a weekend demonstration on Disneyland property.

“No comment. We will see you at Disneyland Sunday,” said guild spokesman Tom Willett when asked for reaction late Friday.

Union members had planned to demonstrate Sunday against unilateral pay cuts imposed Dec. 28 by a group of motion picture and television producers.

Disneyland lawyers claimed that the park would suffer “irreparable harm” if union members were allowed to enter park property on Sunday, when 31,000 visitors are expected.

‘Disturbance’ Prohibited

Orange County Superior Court Commissioner Barbara H. Evans issued a temporary restraining order against the guild prohibiting its members from “creating any disturbance or publicizing any dispute” on Disneyland property.

Guild lawyer Jeffrey S. Wohlner argued that the order would violate union members’ rights to free speech.

“They can speak outside the park for whatever they want to speak about,” replied Disneyland lawyer Michael Hood. “But they may not trespass.”

No union members work in the amusement park, but the Walt Disney Co. owns both Disneyland and Walt Disney Productions, one of the members of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers that cut extras’ salaries late last year.

Guild members planned to enter Disneyland “for the specific purpose of being arrested and receiving publicity,” according to a sworn statement filed by Kermit L. Isaacson, director of park security.

In the statement, Isaacson said he received the tip from a “reliable source” who had talked with Anaheim police.

‘Fifth-Hand Hearsay’

Wohlner unsuccessfully urged that Evans not “grant an injunction based on someone’s paranoia and fifth-hand hearsay.”

Allowing the demonstration would do “irreparable harm” to the park, Hood argued.

“Disneyland is a carefully orchestrated theme park which provides a respite from the concerns of the outside world,” according to papers filed with the court.

After guild members rejected concessions sought by producers by a 9-1 margin last year, management in December unilaterally reduced pay for extras from $91 a day under the old contract to $68 for eight hours of work.

The guild is considered the smallest and weakest of the Hollywood unions and its members recently voted to affiliate with the Teamsters, the nation’s largest union.