I am not sure what it would mean if they wanted to just give out a one time bonus (as some other companies are doing) - if that would have to go through the Union management as well or if they could do that on their own
Unless the CBA let's WDW unilaterally decide to give out bonuses, it would have to be negotiated. The 2014 CBA (which expires in 2019) permits Disney to have a retention bonus program (as well as a hiring bonus) for certain tipped and non-tipped classifications. The non-tipped provision reads:
The Company may continue and/or implement the following hiring and/or retention initiatives including, but not limited to, hiring and/or retention bonus payments, hiring referral program incentives, relocation assistance, and any other incentive and/or retention initiative deemed appropriate by the Company to meet hiring and retention needs.
You would think that the highlighted language gives WDW virtually unfettered discretion to give out bonuses but in the world of bargaining, the employer is still smart in making sure the union will not object. Especially now, there is every reason to be cautious. With the vote, WDW will be in negotiations with the union over revising the CBA. An employer that gives out bonuses or other "rewards" during negotiations walks a very fine line. This is the proverbial iron fist in the velvet glove (no relation to Marvel / Netflix). Without CBA language very explicit, most employers (on advice from their labor lawyers) don't take the chance of being found to acted in bad faith by increasing compensation during (or shortly before) negotiations.
What intrigues me is the CBA clause which states:
Wage rates may be periodically increased for any Classification, but the Company agrees that in such instances, the Company will notify the Union and discuss proposed increases prior to implementation. If the minimum rate is increased above the wage rate of any current Employees in the same classification, the current Employee’s rate would be automatically adjusted to at least the new min. rate.
While this could be read as a broad grant of authority to unilaterally increase wages, I don't believe that is how it would be interpreted. In context, this could mean WDW could unilaterally increase the starting pay (or minimum pay for having worked a set number of years) for non-tipped CMs by simply giving the union "notice" but WDW must then increase existing CM pay to the minimum. I don't think this would permit a unilateral across the board pay increase without bargaining nor do I think a rational employer would take the chance that this clause permits a unilateral across the board increase).