Union Releases Report on ‘Second Class’ Conditions of Third-Party Disney Springs Employees

Shannen Ace

People standing in front of Summer House on the Lake restaurant on a cloudy day, admiring its white exterior and the teal awning gracefully draped over the entrance.

Union Releases Report on ‘Second Class’ Conditions of Third-Party Disney Springs Employees

UNITE HERE Local 737 released a new report about the “second-class” job standards of Disney Springs restaurant workers who are not employed by Disney.

Second Class Workers at Disney Springs

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The union wrote in their report, titled Second Class at Disney: Subcontracted Restaurant Workers at Disney Springs:

When guests at Walt Disney World interact with Cast Members, they can be confident these Disney employees have good jobs, benefits, and the rights and protections of a union contract.

When guests at Disney Springs restaurants interact with employees, they might assume that the employees work for Disney – it’s right there in the name. In fact, many of them are NOT Disney employees. They are employees of the subcontractors who operate 56 of the restaurants, bars, and other food service venues in Disney Springs.

Many of these Disney Springs restaurant workers do not receive important benefits, including health insurance,
paid vacation time and paid sick days.

They surveyed 69 workers at the following 18 third-party Disney Springs locations. These locations employ approximately 960 workers in total.

  • Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’
  • Enzo’s Hideaway
  • Gideon’s Bakehouse
  • Haagen-Dazs
  • Jaleo
  • Maria and Enzo’s
  • Morimoto Asia
  • Paradiso 37
  • Pizza Ponte
  • Rainforest Café
  • STK Steakhouse
  • Summer House on the Lake
  • The Boathouse
  • The Edison
  • Vivoli il Gelato
  • Wetzel’s Pretzels
  • Wine Bar George
  • Yesake
Infographic comparing employment conditions for Disney Springs subcontracted workers and direct Disney employees. Key findings: lower health insurance coverage, sick time, and vacation time for subcontracted workers.

They found that 59% of subcontracted Disney Springs restaurant workers are part-time vs. only 31% of the 18,000 Disney employees represented by UNITE HERE Local 737.

46% of the Disney Springs workers have no health insurance and only 19% have health insurance through their jobs. On the other hand, 69% of Disney employees are full-time and are eligible for Union-negotiated health insurance (the Cast Members may choose a different health insurance).

All Disney employees receive paid sick time and 69% receive paid vacation time. Only 28% of the surveyed subcontractor employees receive sick time and 28% receive paid vacation time.

The report comes a few months after Patina Restaurant Group employees of Disney Springs announced their intention to unionize. They also referred to their working conditions as “second-class.” At Disney Springs, Patina operates Morimoto Asia, The Edison, Maria & Enzo’s Ristorante, Enzo’s Hideaway, and Pizza Ponte.

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