The Walt Disney Company has agreed to pay $233 million to settle a class action lawsuit brought by Disneyland employees who claim the Mouse House oppressed them by failing to meet local minimum wage requirements. .
Disney on Friday approved a preliminary settlement that will result in back pay with interest owed by more than 50,000 current and former employees of the Anaheim, California, theme park.
“This is the largest wage and hour class settlement in California history that we believe will change the lives of Disney families and their communities,” said attorney Randy Rennick, who is representing the workers in the class action lawsuit. said. he told the Los Angeles Times.
The settlement covers unpaid wages with interest from January 1, 2019, when the City of Anaheim's $15-an-hour minimum wage law went into effect.
Disney also agreed to pay penalties, interest and other fees.
In July, Disney agreed to a new contract with the Disneyland union that raised the minimum wage to $24 an hour.
A California judge is scheduled to review the settlement on January 17th, and if approved, each employee will receive a notice letting them know how much money they will receive.
A Disneyland spokesperson told the Los Angeles Times, “We are pleased that this matter is nearing a resolution.”
“Currently, all Cast Members earn at least the Measure L requirement of $19.90 an hour. In fact, 95% of Cast Members earn more than that.”
Measure L is a minimum wage law approved by Anaheim voters that went into effect in January 2019.
The dispute between Disney and its employees began in February 2018, when a union group released a survey that found company employees were struggling to make enough money to cover basic expenses. Announced.
Later that year, voters in Anaheim approved a new minimum wage measure.
Although Disney did not adjust wages in accordance with the law, it did negotiate raises with individual theme park unions and union councils.
As a result, Disney employees filed a class action lawsuit in December 2019. The company was accused of illegally trying to circumvent minimum wage laws.
The Post has reached out to Disney for comment.
