Walt Disney Co. has been accused of underpaying its maintenance workers at its Southern California hotels, a new lawsuit alleges.
The lawsuit, filed in Orange County Superior Court on Thursday against Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S. Inc. and Disney Worldwide Services Inc., alleges that Disney required its workers to pay for their own tools but didn’t pay them the required double minimum wage, as mandated under California law.
The lawsuit also alleges that the company didn’t provide rest or meal breaks, failed to pay workers minimum wage, provide accurate wage statements and overtime, along with numerous other wage and labor violations.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Charlie Torres and more than 100 others similarly situated.
“Disney may be the “Happiest Place on Earth” for its visitors, but when it comes to its maintenance workers who are responsible for helping keep it happy, Disney couldn’t be bothered to even pay for basic tools,” Torres’ attorney Ron Zambrano, said in a statement.
“Mr. Torres and so many others are told to cover the expense of tools used on behalf of Disney, who flouts the law and refuses to pay its workers what they’re due. Disney is a massive company. They know the law. But just like their character Uncle Scrooge, they choose to be cheap.”
Torres started working at one of Disney’s hotels on Feb. 14, 2022, as an assistant maintenance engineer.
“Disney has knowingly and intentionally violated provisions by persistently paying mechanical engineers below the required double-minimum wage, which affects the correct overtime rate or premiums for missed rest or meal periods on every wage statement owed to the plaintiff and members of the proposed class,” according to the lawsuit.
KTLA reached out to Disney for comment but didn’t hear back in time for publication.
This isn’t the first time the entertainment giant has dealt with wage-related lawsuits.
In 2023, the California Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal from Disney regarding whether an Anaheim wage law, Measure L, applied to certain employees at the theme park.
The court ruled that Disney employees, also known as cast members, would receive retroactive pay dating back to Jan. 1, 2019.
