More than 100 maintenance workers at Disney's hotels are suing the entertainment giant over low wages and alleged that they are being paid less than fast-food workers in their state.
The lawsuit, filed in Orange County Superior Court, named Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S. Inc. and Disney Worldwide Services Inc. as the defendants. In the suit, 116 maintenance workers alleged that the company failed to pay them minimum wage, with some making as little as $17.50 an hour. This forced many to get second jobs "to survive" despite working overtime.
"A ton of us have or had second jobs just to survive," Charlie Torres, lead plaintiff, told FOX Business. "I was working 48-plus hours a week in the mornings at Disney and delivering pizzas five nights a week for Pizza Hut."
Apart from their low wages, a key issue brought up in the lawsuit is that Disney allegedly required the workers at its hotels to provide and replace their own tools and equipment. Under California law, employers must pay at least twice the minimum wage if they require employees to bring their own tools to work.
"Disney may be the 'Happiest Place on Earth' for its visitors, but when it comes to its maintenance workers who are responsible for helping keep it happy, Disney couldn't be bothered to even pay for basic tools," Torres' attorney Ron Zambrano, said in a statement.
"Mr. Torres and so many others are told to cover the expense of tools used on behalf of Disney, who flouts the law and refuses to pay its workers what they're due. Disney is a massive company. They know the law. But just like their character Uncle Scrooge, they choose to be cheap," he added.
In addition, the workers alleged Disney blocked them from taking legally guaranteed lunch breaks during their work days and refused to pay them for working through meals. Disney was also accused of failing to provide final paychecks on time for workers who quit or were let go.
Disney's Other Lawsuit
Disney is also facing another major labor lawsuit in which 9,000 female employees alleged disparities in pay. The employees worked in a range of Disney-owned businesses, including its hotels, theme parks, the cruise line, and film and TV studios. The suit did not include Disney employees from Pixar, ESPN, Hulu, Fox, or FX, per Variety.
The trial for the case is expected to be held in October.
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