Hospitality Workers In Florida Rally To Fix ‘Broken’ Unemployment System
As we previously mentioned here at MickeyBlog, a large number of workers employed by Walt Disney World are having difficulties with the unemployment system in Florida. Many of Disney’s furloughed cast members are saying that they haven’t received unemployment benefits despite the government’s claim that the state has paid almost everyone in the state that is eligible.
According to a piece that appeared on WESH 2 News, hundreds of cars joined a rally held at Florida Mall with horns blaring, messages written on their windows and flags waving to protest an unemployment system that they say isn’t working for them.
You can check out the report below:
Most of the workers present at the rally are members of Unite Here Local 737 which is one of the unions that represent employees from Disney’s hotel and convention centers. Some of the changes these attendees were hoping for include fixing an unemployment system that has reportedly declined 40% of applicants (many of whom it believe they ARE eligible to receive unemployment.) Another hope is that Florida will raise the unemployment rate to $600 a week rather than the current rate of $275 which sits among the lowest in the country.
Many of those furloughed during the COVID-19 outbreak have said that they have spent weeks trying to go through the application process to receive benefits they are entitled to. This is on top of the fact that Disney submitted information on all furloughed employees to the state in the hope that this would speed up the process of filing for unemployment for its workers.
One employee, Arissa Davisson, told WESH, “We’ve all been fighting to get money. We’ve all been promised that we’re going to get help during this time, and nothing’s happening. And we’re all struggling and fighting/”
Governor Ron DeSantis was asked if some of the 40% that have been turned down for unemployment were mis-labelled. He replied, “If you go back last year 2019, what the DEO will tell you is a majority of people that apply are not eligible,” DeSantis said. “Now, I think a majority applying now are eligible. Because these are people that just lost their jobs.”
This is a story that we’ll continue to follow closely here at MickeyBlog. Keep checking in with us for further updates.
Source: WESH