Cynthia “Cyn” Carranza meticulously scavenged for a shady parking spot in the car she called home.

The overnight custodian at Disneyland has to sleep during the day - a difficulty for anyone, let alone when you’re living in your car with two dogs. Ms Carranza says she makes $20.65 an hour (about £15.99) at the park but last summer, she couldn’t afford rent in this Southern California city where the average apartment can run more than $2,000 (about £1,550) a month.

Ms Carranza, like others who work at the park, detailed to the BBC the financial hardships that come with working at what’s supposed to be the “Happiest Place on Earth”. About 10,000 union workers at Disneyland - the first of 12 parks created around the globe - are threatening to strike over the wages and what they say are retaliatory anti-union practices.

Hundreds of workers protested outside the park this week, with an array of signs and pins showing Mickey Mouse’s gloved fist in defiance.

“Mickey would want fair pay,” workers chanted outside Disneyland near the park’s gates.

They voted almost unanimously to authorise strike action on Friday, just days before union contract negotiations for workers are set to resume.

    • Kecessa@sh.itjust.works
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      4 months ago

      Two dogs living in a car for two years and being left in there while their owner goes to work every day is cruelty, especially with the weather in California.

      • Frank_weens@lemmy.world
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        4 months ago

        Weird, I didn’t read that she left them in the car. Please quote where that was in the article because I missed that.

        • Kecessa@sh.itjust.works
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          4 months ago

          Sure was living in her car for two years and she mentions having her dogs with her, either she left them outside all day attached to the car or she left them in the car, either way, it’s not appropriate living conditions for a dog.

          • Frank_weens@lemmy.world
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            4 months ago

            Please do some research on homeless people with pets. Even the ASPCA advocates for homeless keeping their pets.