While most Walt Disney World cast members will continue to be paid at least through April 18th while the parks and resort hotels remain closed, some workers fallen through the cracks, according to a report by WFTV.
Daralene Jones, an investigative reporter for the network, has revealed that some construction workers, who worked for the Buena Vista Construction Company, a part of the resort’s construction, park maintenance, and repair operations, have claimed that the company laid them off when the resort closed two weeks ago due to the Coronavirus pandemic, leaving them without pay. Buena Vista Construction Company is an “indirect subsidiary” of The Walt Disney Company.
One of the workers, Samantha Colunga, was willing to speak out about her situation: “In this type of work that we do, we do get laid off, but usually we know it’s coming and we’re a little bit more prepared for it. This just came up out of nowhere.”
Some union leaders have claimed that Buena Vista Construction should’ve been required to continue paying workers, as money has become available from federal and state agencies. James Williams of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, added, “most of the small businesses in the construction industry are used to laying their workforce off in response to a slowed down economy, so they already reacted before the government did.” Working through this pandemic has been challenging for those who have been able to, as Williams pointed out: “Too many members have had to choose between going to work and paying their bills, which is critically important, as well and also the fear of working side by side.”
Colunga has applied for unemployment, but with systems being overwhelmed as more people are being laid off, her fears have increased as her unemployment check won’t come with health insurance to cover her and her newborn son, born a month ago, as she noted: “I have to pay out of pocket if he’s not covered. That is a harsh reality for so many people.”
Keep reading WDWNT for continuing coverage of this ongoing story.
MORE:
Everybody wants something for nothing.
Wow. I don’t even know where to begin with this comment. It’s probably not worth the effort, however, as any attempt to counter with logic would most likely fall on “blind eyes.” But I’ll say this much, anyway: Giving taxpaying citizens back some of their money in a time of crisis is nothing new, so I’m always baffled by people who regard these kinds of payments as “handouts.” Regardless, the number of “thumbs down” votes this comment will inspire should help hammer home the message that your opinion is very much in the minority.
I feel for the workers who were laid off. I’ve also been laid off, but to say that it came out of nowhere is absurd.
The construction industry, due to the specifics, cannot be transferred to a remote mode of operation. I absolutely support housing construction. Housing is in short supply. I question other construction. I live where there is a lot of construction going on, and I’m not seeing physical distancing among construction workers. Will construction workers end up being a pool of transmission? I’m concerned. But what should a builder do in such a situation? I can only advise you to study online https://www.ablesafety.com/course/10-hour-sst-worker-package-online for it will all end and everyone will return to their usual work