EPCOT Cast Members Call on Disney to Not Give Any New Business to Patina Group
As labor unrest continues between Patina Restaurant Group EPCOT employees and management, restaurant staff are now calling on Disney to stop awarding the company additional business.
Before we discuss the latest development, however, we need to look at how we got here.
Photo: Orlando Weekly
Many Walt Disney World guests may not realize that not all Cast Members work directly for Disney.
In some cases, employees are subcontracted through Patina Restaurant Group, a branch of Delaware North, which operates Space 220, Tutto Italia Ristorante, Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria, and Tutto Gusto at EPCOT.
The Labor Dispute
Last year, labor unrest broke out at EPCOT as Patina employees and management remained deadlocked over a collective bargaining agreement.
Union. Logo
Noting that they were paid less than their Disney Cast Member counterparts, Patina employees have reportedly been seeking better wages, benefits, and workplace protections.
The Union’s New Demand
As the standoff between Patina employees and management continues, union workers have now unanimously voted to call on Disney not to award Patina any additional business.
Photo: PR Newswire
“We call on Disney: no more new business for Patina Group,” said Patina worker Jennifer Quiñónez. “If these restaurants in Hollywood Studios or Animal Kingdom are reopening, Disney shouldn’t give the business to Patina.”
At the heart of the dispute is the claim that Patina employees are paid significantly less than Disney Cast Members performing similar jobs.
Photo: Unite Here
“We are tired of working second-class jobs. We serve the same guests as Disney employees. People come to our restaurants because they are at EPCOT for a day at Disney. On one side of us is the Germany pavilion, and on the other side is the American Adventure pavilion. But Patina doesn’t run those pavilions — Disney does. That means that at restaurants there, a Cook 1 makes over $2 an hour more than a Patina cook doing the same job does,” Jennifer said.
Photo: Unite Here
“In October, the Disney cook will get another raise and they will make $3.47 more an hour than the Patina cook. That money adds up fast. After a month of 40-hour weeks, a Patina cook who works for those second-class Patina wages will have earned $555 less than the Disney cook. After a year, the Patina cook will have earned $7,217 less. And the whole time, the two cooks will have been cooking food for the same guests exploring EPCOT.”
Photo: MickeyBlog
