Walt Disney Parks and Resorts is being sued for $1 million by more than 100 California hotel maintenance workers who claim they weren’t paid the state’s mandatory minimum wage, while being forced to use their own tools.
“Disney failed to pay … employees the required double the minimum as prescribed by the Wage Orders for requiring they bring their own hand tools,” reads the class action lawsuit, filed in Orange County Superior Court on Thursday. “Because of the underpayment of wages … Disney failed to pay the correct regular rate, overtime rate or daily rate.”
Disney is also accused of denying workers adequate break time and acting problematically in paying final wages to former workers who serviced hotels around the Disneyland theme park.
The lawsuit brought forth by “Charlie Torres and other aggrieved employees” began with a complaint by the California man who was hired as an assistant maintenance engineer in February 2022. But total damages sought date back to 2020.
The Hollywood Reporter, which first reported on the suit, said the plaintiffs in the case seek “at least $1 million in back pay,” though the lawsuit lists no exact dollar amount.
West Coast Trial Lawyers, which represents the plaintiffs, said in a statement to the Daily News they seek “potentially seven figures in back pay owed.”
“Disney may be the ‘happiest place on Earth’ for its visitors but when it comes to its maintenance workers who are responsible for helping keep it happy, Disney couldn’t be bothered to even pay for basic tools,” according to the plaintiff’s lawyer, Ron Zambrano. “Disney is a massive company. They know the law.”
Disney has not returned a request for comment.
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