Disneyland Resort Cast Members are beginning to get their settlement checks for a wage theft lawsuit first filed in 2019.
The lawsuit initially filed by five Cast Members became a class action suit in 2021, representing 51,478 employees. Last year Disney agreed to pay a $233 million settlement. This settlement was approved by a judge in September.
According to Voice of OC, payments are starting to arrive. The amount per employee varies between a few hundred dollars and almost $10,000. Most will receive approximately $3,500, said Randy Renick, an attorney representing the Cast Members.
Payments will continue to roll out over the next few weeks. They cover backpay with 10% interest, 401(k) contributions, and other penalties.
Jenna Thompson, a spokesperson for United Food and Commercial Workers Local 324, which represents 23,000 workers, said this settlement “means that companies, even global powerhouses like Disney, are accountable to their workers to follow the law. It would not have been possible without cast members’ willingness to fight for what they deserve from Disney.”
Thompson stated a third-party administrator is handling the settlement. They are contacting employees and once they receive a response, employees will receive an electronic payment within a couple of days or a check within a couple of weeks.
“Our hope is that it makes a significant impact on improving the life quality, the health and welfare of the Disney workers,” said Renick. “They are all very dedicated to their job and work extremely hard and tend to work for lower wages and so the six years of back wages here should make a significant impact in improving not just their lives, but also their upcoming holidays.”
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