Disneyland cast members in a local labor union are reacting after a judge approved a $233 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit that alleged cast members didn’t benefit from an Anaheim minimum wage law.
The settlement, approved last week, will cover thousands of current and former Disneyland employees and provide back pay with interest. The media company signed off on the preliminary agreement in December.
Union members said Thursday the settlement validates years of organizing and persistence.
“I love what I do, turning kids into princesses and knights, but I have to be able to afford to live while doing it,” said Michi Cordell, a member of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 324 and a Disneyland employee for 17 years. “This settlement will be a major help to my family thanks to the union and the Anaheim voters who supported Measure L. We stood up for what we deserved, from passing Measure L to reaching this agreement, and won.”
In 2018, Anaheim voters passed a law requiring a $15 minimum wage for companies in Anaheim’s resort area who enjoyed “tax rebate” agreements with the city. The measure, known as Measure L, was placed on a ballot thanks to a petition led by a coalition of Disney unions.
Ahead of the election, Disney asked the city to dissolve a “45-year gate tax shield and a $267-million bed-tax break for a luxury hotel project” that never came to fruition, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Anaheim’s city attorney initially stated that the law wouldn’t apply to Disney since the agreements had been canceled.
However, a class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of cast members in 2019 disagreed. The lawsuit claimed the company violated the law by failing to pay its workers a living wage.
“What we believe is the largest wage and hour class settlement in California history will change lives for Disney families and their communities,” Randy Renick, an attorney representing the workers in the class-action suit, previously told the Times.
“Disney cares deeply about our cast members, and we are pleased that this matter is nearing resolution,” a Disneyland Resort spokesperson said in an emailed statement to KTLA.
“We are proud to already offer some of the most competitive wages and comprehensive employee benefits in our industry, with nearly 96% of our cast making over $22 per hour, more than $1.50 above the current Measure L requirement of $20.42 per hour.”
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