ANAHEIM, California, July 24 (Reuters) - Unions

representing 14,000 Disneyland employees said on Wednesday they

had reached a tentative labor agreement with Walt Disney Co ( DIS )

, averting a work stoppage at the California theme park.

The new, three-year agreement, which includes wage

increases and other benefits for park employees, whom Disney ( DIS )

calls "cast members," was signed by an alliance of unions

representing custodians, ride operators, merchandise clerks and

other workers at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, in Southern

California.

A ratification vote on the proposed contract is scheduled

for Monday.

"Cast members have fought hard for the past four months and

this tentative agreement would not have been possible without

the strength we all showed throughout this process and the

unwavering support from guests and community members," the

unions said in a statement.

Disney ( DIS ) confirmed the tentative deal in a statement to

Reuters: "We care deeply about the wellbeing of our cast members

... and are pleased to have reached a tentative agreement with

the Master Services council that addresses what matters most to

our cast."

Last week, workers protested outside Disneyland with signs

saying, "Mickey Would Want Fair Pay!"

Union members had voted overwhelmingly on Friday to

authorize a strike if an agreement could not be reached.

"We have shown Disney ( DIS ) that we are the true magic makers of

the park and today proves that when workers stand together for

what they deserve, we win," the unions said in a joint

statement.

Disney ( DIS ) shares fell 1.4% in afternoon trading on the New York

Stock Exchange at $89.65 amid a broad downturn in stocks. The

Dow Jones Industrial Average was trading down about 1% and the

Nasdaq dropped 3%.