Earlier this month, Disney announced that they would be furloughing all “non-essential” cast members of Disney World and Disneyland, along with other employees across various divisions of the Walt Disney Company.
With the furlough officially beginning on April 19th, it is being reported that some of the furloughed Cast Members at Disney World have begun conducting peaceful protests speaking out against the Florida unemployment website, which many workers are asking to be fixed.
Due to the furlough, Cast Members are due to have their paychecks temporarily halted starting on April 19th. To supplement this, furloughed employees are being encouraged to file for state unemployment, which in Florida will bring a maximum total of $275 weekly, one of the lowest in the nation. According to local Orlando news ClickOrlando, furloughed cast members have been staging peaceful, stay-at-home protests, not aimed at Disney World, but at what they say is a Florida unemployment system that needs to be fixed.
Cast Members are putting up messages in any way they can during these stay-at-home protests, including drawing them on the sidewalks in chalk, on mailboxes, and hanging signs in windows. Lacey Gamble, a Cast Member at Epcot, said, “This system has been failing for years. Somebody needs to speak up.”
The state’s unemployed workers are reporting problems with filing applications and trying to reach help lines. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has allocated more resources to the Department of Economic Opportunity, including adding 2,000 new workers, to try to meet the new demand. Last week, officials said the agency received 3.8 million calls, which amounts to 50% more than was reported in all of 2019.
Jeremy Haicken, president of Unite Here Local 737, agreed with Gamble’s earlier statement by saying, “The system is broken. We’re not going to stop until Governor DeSantis fixes this unemployment system.”
Do you know anyone affected by the Disney furloughs? Let us know in the comments below!
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The workers will also receive the additional $600 a week stimulus in addition to the states pay. Louisiana’s max pay is $247. My company furloughed all positions less than a store manager back in March. My part timers worked 10-20 hours a week at $12 an hour. Their max pay was $240 a week working. Now, at min, they’re making $720 per week! They are all making more staying at home than working. Even my full timers are making more now than working. Keep your heads up. It will all work out.
It’s unfortunate and frankly shameful to have that low an unemployment benefit in 2020. The governor and legislature there saw fit to do this in 2011 when business lobbyists complained about the costs. They also put hurdles in the way of those seeking unemployment.
Well remember both employers and employees chip in to these programs. I bet most of the lower paid want more benefits but not the debits from their paychecks….It’s a very difficult situation.