Walt Disney Co. has been accused in a class-action lawsuit of underpaying workers at its Southern California hotels, along with a string of other alleged labor violations.
The lawsuit was filed in Orange County Superior Court on March 5 by a group of 100 current and former Disney hotel maintenance employees and 16 assistant maintenance engineer employees.
It cites Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S. Inc. and Disney Worldwide Services Inc. as defendants.
Plaintiffs allege that Disney forced them to pay for their own tools and failed to pay them the required double minimum wage and correct overtime rates, as mandated under California labor law for employers who do not supply needed tools.
The complaint further alleges the entertainment giant failed to provide workers with the proper rest and meal periods, as well as accurate wage statements to ensure they are being paid correctly.
This was done in a “willful and deliberate” manner by Disney, according to the lawsuit.
‘Like Their Character Uncle Scrooge, They Choose to Be Cheap’
Plaintiffs are seeking at least $1 million in unpaid wages.In a statement to the Los Angeles Times, Ron Zambrano, an attorney at West Coast Employment Lawyers who is representing plaintiffs in the lawsuit, said Disney “couldn’t be bothered to even pay for basic tools.”
“Disney is a massive company. They know the law. But just like their character Uncle Scrooge, they choose to be cheap,” Mr. Zambrano said.
The Epoch Times has contacted a spokesperson for Disney for comment.
The latest lawsuit was filed under California’s Private Attorneys General Act, which allows workers to file lawsuits to recover both back wages and civil penalties from employers on behalf of themselves, other employees, and the State of California for labor code violations.
FuboTV Sues Disney
FuboTV alleges the integrated media companies have “engaged in a years-long campaign to block Fubo’s innovative sports-first streaming business” by engaging in anti-competitive practices that it says have caused “significant harm” to both Fubo and consumers.The complaint alleges that the new joint venture “steals Fubo’s playbook and is the latest example of this campaign.”
“For decades, defendants have leveraged their iron grip on sports content to extract billions of dollars in supra-competitive profits” by engaging in practices causing consumers to pay more for highly popular sports content and resulting in significant damages to both Fubo and its customers,” the lawsuit states.
Elsewhere, Disney is facing a discrimination lawsuit filed by two female former workers in 2019 alleging the entertainment giant systematically underpaid women compared to their male counterparts.
A spokesperson for Disney has denied the claims made in that lawsuit, telling Forbes last year there is no gender-pay gap at Disney.
“The plaintiffs’ assertions about an alleged pay gap between women and men are simply false, which we will demonstrate through the litigation,” Shawna M. Swanson, associate general counsel and head of the employment law function for The Walt Disney Company told the publication at the time.
However, that lawsuit was granted certification by a Los Angeles judge in December 2023 and has since morphed into a class action lawsuit of nearly 9,000 women.
