Service workers’ unions at Walt Disney World reached a tentative agreement with the company on Thursday, raising the starting minimum wage from $15 to $18 an hour by year’s end in a deal that could set the baseline for starting pay across central Florida’s sprawling tourism industry.
After rejecting an earlier offer that fell short of the $18 hourly minimum wage last month, Disney World service workers in the six unions that comprise the Service Trades Council Union coalition planned to vote on the contract proposal next Wednesday.
The contract covers approximately 45,000 service employees at the Disney theme park resort outside of Orlando. If the contract is approved, workers’ hourly wages could rise between $5.50 and $8.60 by the end of the five-year term.
“The priorities union members were determined to fight for this year were securing an $18 minimum hourly rate this year, increasing the overall economic value of Disney’s original offer, and ensuring full back pay for every worker,” said Matt Hollis, head of the coalition of unions. “We won that fight today.”
Mickey gets a raise
According to Disney, the tentative agreement includes “industry-leading” benefits such as health insurance coverage and tuition reimbursement.
“Our cast members are central to Walt Disney World’s enduring magic, which is why we are pleased to have reached this tentative agreement,” Walt Disney World Resort President Jeff Vahle said in a statement.
The contract with the service workers includes costumed performers who portray Mickey Mouse and other Disney characters, bus drivers, culinary workers, lifeguards, theatrical workers, and hotel housekeepers, who account for more than half of Disney World’s 70,000-plus workforce.
With the approval of the contract five years ago, Disney became the first major employer in central Florida to agree to a minimum hourly wage of $15, setting the precedent for other workers in the region dominated by hospitality jobs.
The contract proposal with the resort’s largest group of employees comes at a difficult time for Disney World. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature recently passed legislation granting the Republican governor the authority to appoint the governing board of the district in charge of the resort’s government services, which spans 27,000 acres (11,000 hectares). Previously, Disney was in charge of the board.
The takeover of the Disney district began last year, when the entertainment giant publicly opposed the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” legislation, which prohibits instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade, as well as lessons deemed inappropriate for children of that age.
DeSantis has established a national reputation as a culture warrior in the run-up to the Republican presidential nomination.
