Imagineers, Restaurant and Hotel Workers Among Those Impact By Disney Layoffs
Yesterday, we here at MickeyBlog reported on the massive layoffs coming to the US Disney theme parks as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. According to an official memo from Josh D’Amaro, the company plans to lay off roughly 28,000 employees. According to a recent piece in the Orange County Register, this includes 3,500 Disneyland restaurant and hotel union workers and more than 400 Imagineers.
As we previously reported, the cuts are being made across Disneyland, Disney World, Walt Disney Imagineering, Disney Cruise Line, travel planning, retail, gaming and publishing divisions.
Both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure closed back in mid-March and continue to remain closed despite a push from Disney execs. The company is waiting on California Governor Gavin Newsom to approve a reopening plan which has yet to happen. No timeline has been set.
Disney theme parks in China, France, Japan and Florida have all reopening but attendance has been drastically reduced to meet social distancing guidelines.
In D’Amaro’s statement which you can see in its entirety above, the chairman said, “We initially hoped that this situation would be short-lived, and that we would recover quickly and return to normal.” He continued, “Seven months later, we find that has not been the case.”
Disney has not provided figures as of yet in terms of how many employees will be laid off at Disneyland resort. However, estimates have it in excess of 5,000 cast members. Lay-off notifications have started to go out to all non-union, salaried and executive employees. As we previously reported here at MickeyBlog, unions that represent Disneyland cast members are in discussion with Disney regarding the layoffs and the impact this will have on their members. Unions represent approximately 28,0000 of the theme parks and resort’s 32,000 employees.
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Workers United Local 50 took to Facebook to say that they expect 2,500 of its 7,850 Disneyland food and beverage workers to be laid off. “There is a lot of information we don’t know now and we are scheduled to meet with Disney in the coming days to get more information and bargain over the effects,” Workers United Local 50 president Chris Duarte wrote on the union’s Facebook page. “Here is what we know now: Who will actually be subject to layoff is still to be determined. The contract and bargaining will determine this.”
Similarly, Unite Here Local 11 expects around 950 of the 3,000 Disneyland cast members it represents to be laid off many of witch are hotel workers. “The union will engage in bargaining with the company over issues including job security and healthcare coverage,” Unite Here said in a statement.
Disney announced 2765 non-union members will be laid off in California. Disney had to declare the numbers as part of the WARN act in California. In the filing the company declared that 2,050 employees including Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, 129 who work for Disney Entertainment Productions and 95 at Disney Destinations at 74 at Walt Disney Travel Co will be laid off. It also declared that 411 layoffs will be happening at Walt Disney Imagineering in Glendale.
This is a story that we’ll continue to follow closely here at MickeyBlog and we promise to keep you updated as soon as we’ve heard more.
Source: Orange County Register
