About 8,857 part-time Disney World union employees furloughed during the coronavirus pandemic will now be laid off as the theme park cuts about 20% of its workforce.
Late last month, the Walt Disney Co. announced it was laying off 28,000 people across its theme park division nationwide, although details were not given how many people would be affected in Orlando.
Disney later notified the state that about 6,700 non-union employees at Disney World were losing their jobs as of Dec. 4.
Wednesday’s announcement of the 8,857 part-time jobs brings the total known layoffs to more than 15,500 at Walt Disney World Resort which had employed 77,000 people. It took about a week for the largest Disney World union coalition to finish talks with the company over the layoffs.
“It’s devastating,” said Eric Clinton, president of Unite Here Local 362. “There’s no other way to feel about all of this.”
No full-time employees are being laid off, said the Service Trades Council Union, a coalition of six locals that make up 43,000 Disney World employees.
“Any Cast Members who are laid off in the future will retain their employment, their seniority, rate of pay including any scheduled increases, and the right to return back to a previous job with the Company until October 1, 2022,” the union said in a press release. “This means that all Cast Members represented by the STCU will be given priority to return to their job prior to Disney hiring new employees off the street.”
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
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