‘Second class’ in Disney Springs: Restaurant workers push for better pay, benefits
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When guests arrive at Disney Springs and eat at one of the entertainment complex’s restaurants, they might assume that all the employees serving them with smiles work for Walt Disney World. But the magic most people associate with Disney doesn’t exist for some Disney Springs employees, say union officials. They argue there is a “second class” of workers at the complex who deserve better wages and benefits. “We’ve discovered that there is a second class of workers at Walt Disney World, those workers are the subcontracted employees of restaurants that are not operated by Disney,” said Jeremy Haicken, president of the Unite Here Local 737, which represents Disney employees. “These are restaurants that are operated by subcontractors at Disney Springs.
” More than 50 food and beverage locations at Disney Springs operate using subcontracted workers, including Gideon’s Bakehouse, Rainforest Café and STK Steakhouse.