On September 18th, 2024, the UNITE HERE Local 737 Union held a press conference regarding the working conditions for some Disney Springs restaurant workers.
At this press conference, the union released a report about pay and benefits for employees at non-Disney-owned restaurants in Disney Springs. Several of these employees came forward to share their personal experiences.
Jeremy Haicken, President of UNITE HERE Local 737, led the press conference and delivered the results of the report. To view a full copy of the report, click right here.
Local 737 represents over 19,000 Disney World Cast Members who work in Food & Beverage and Housekeeping, as well as other workers in the Orlando tourism corridor.
The Local 737 union believes that the employees of other companies who own restaurants at Disney Springs are being treated differently than Disney World Cast Members. The union points to a high percentage of part-time employees, lower wages than Disney employees for the same jobs, lack of health insurance, and lack of paid time off.
At Disney Springs there are 56 food service venues that are not operated by Disney, and the workers at these restaurants are not Disney employees. The union says that the differences in pay and benefits between Disney World employees and these workers are unacceptable.
At the press conference, multiple Disney Springs restaurant workers also shared their own personal experiences. Workers from Maria & Enzo’s Ristorante, Pizza Ponte, and Morimoto Asia spoke about their wages and lack of benefits.
One of these workers was Kristen, who is a server at Maria & Enzo’s. She has a chronic health condition and pays almost $500 a month to purchase health insurance. She is not eligible for an employer-sponsored health insurance plan.
Sabrina, who is a cook at Morimoto Asia, said, “I am a single mom and at this point I can’t support my family.” Sabrina also said that she is facing eviction. “If I worked at Disney, I would be able to keep a roof over my family,” she said.
Other workers from Pizza Ponte and Maria & Enzo’s shared similar experiences. They get paid less than their Disney Cast Member counterparts do for doing a similar job. They also have less benefits available to them.
Haicken said that there is interest in unionizing, specifically within the restaurants owned by the Patina Restaurant Group of Delaware North, which include Maria & Enzo’s, Morimoto Asia, and Pizza Ponte. Local 737 announced it will support those efforts.
Patina Restaurant Group did not respond to our request for comment.
Stay tuned to AllEars for more updates.
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So Disney is gouging guests, charging obscene prices ( unless you’re hand me down wealthy) that middle America Middle class families can’t afford, AND they’re starving their workers? I’m thinking the never ending drive to not only be profitable, but keep being MORE profitable every quarter is the problem. Some bazillionaire needs to buy the parks(at least the Florida ones), and take them private, where they could be content with a billion dollar per year profit, and focus on the guests and happy workers, like Walt Disney himself did. These current “stories matter” woke bozos tearing down splash mountain and rivers of America and a hundred other “offensive” (yet somehow to us schmucks…. Magic) features, along with the power hungry corporate boardroom millionaires looking to line their own pockets, have literally destroyed Disney World for SO many people. Kick them out! Bring back the magic! Make your guests and employees Happy Again!!
Please re-read the article. The complaints are from staff working at NON-Disney owned restaurants in Disney Springs.
The article specifically states that the restaurants in question are not Disney owned & also states that Disney’s employees are paid significantly higher wages with benefits.
One of the things my wife and I started doing many years ago was to only tip in cash. No charged tips. I know its a pain to have to go to an ATM and get cash for this, but it guarantees the tip goes to the server and, despite the current political gimmick to not tax tips, cash tips easily fly under the radar negating that concept.
The other thing I wish Disney would change is: I bought a coffee at a coffee shop in the Boardwalk resort. I asked the server where the tip jar was and she told me they are not allowed to ask for tips. What harm is there to put a tip jar at places like that? There is no obligation.
we always take cash with us and when we pay for the meal with our credit card, we put Zero on the tip line and put cash on the table or give it directly to the server. I agree with you totally and the tip jar should be available.