More than 100 Disney hotel maintenance workers who maintain the company’s luxury hotels in Southern California are being paid less than fast food workers in the state and are working overtime. She is suing the entertainment giant for forcing her to take on side jobs regardless of the circumstances. .
“Many of us had second jobs or jobs just to make ends meet,” lead plaintiff Charlie Torres told FOX Business. “I worked over 48 hours a week at Disney in the mornings and delivered pizzas at Pizza Hut five times a week at night.”
Torres’ lawyer, Ron Zambrano, said workers tasked with keeping the four-star hotel up to the standards of its wealthy clientele were struggling to make ends meet amid the region’s housing crisis and soaring inflation. It is said that there is
“Franchise owners of major chain stores must pay their workers at least $20 an hour,” said Zambrano, a partner at West Coast Trial Lawyers in Los Angeles. “So they make less than people who work at McDonald’s, Burger King, or Wendy’s.”
Before taking a higher-paying maintenance job, Torres said he worked in Disney’s food and beverage department, where the union maintained its own food bank for its members.
A key issue in the case is that Disney allegedly required workers to provide their own tools, which under California law requires workers to earn the state’s minimum wage of $15.50 an hour. It means you have to pay twice.
“Why doesn’t Disney have a warehouse of tools that people can use?” Zambrano asked.
Some were reportedly earning as little as $17.50 an hour. Disney also allegedly skimped on overtime, preventing workers from taking legally guaranteed lunch breaks during their shifts and paying them for their work through meals.
Disney, on the other hand, charges hundreds of dollars per night, depending on location. Some rooms started at more than $500, according to online searches. Others cost $800 or more.
Mr. Zambrano said that when employees were hired, they were required to spend hundreds of dollars on the necessary hand tools and replace them multiple times a year at their own expense.
“That’s a lot of money. It’s half of a month’s worth of groceries,” Zambrano said. “It’s incredible that we asked them to do this, considering the amount of revenue these hotels bring in.”
The class action complaint filed Friday also alleges that Disney failed to pay terminated or retired employees their final salaries on time. FOX Business has reached out to Disney for comment.
The lawsuit seeks unpaid wages with interest and legal costs. from disneyTheme park has also faced criticism for its treatment of employees, some of whom have reportedly turned to living in their cars to make a living.
One of them died in a car in 2016, according to the Orange County Register. The newspaper said it took 20 days for Eweinishet Mesfin to be found after she was reported missing because she had no address listed.
Torres said he has worked with her.
“She does night custody work and we have talked about it,” he said. “She died in her car. No one knew she was living homeless in her car. But I know it does happen and many employees I’ve heard of people doing this kind of thing.”
