Disney Hotel Workers Seek $1 Million in Back Pay With Class Action Lawsuit for Labor Violations

A group of Disney hotel maintenance employees filed a class action lawsuit against the entertainment giant for underpaying them, as well as other labor law violations.

Filed in Orange County Superior Court Thursday, the complaint outlines that workers have to cover the cost of their own tools in addition to not getting paid the required double minimum wage and correct overtime rates. The suit seeks at least $1 million in back pay.

The group consists of almost 100 current and former maintenance engineers and 16 assistant maintenance engineer employees. The paperwork details that Disney “failed to itemize wage statements for failure to set the correct rate as required by the Wage Orders.”

Disney allegedly violated company policy by failing to provide paychecks immediately upon involuntary termination or within 72 hours of voluntary separation, paying final wages at location of employment nor including wages due in final paychecks, according to the documents.

The proposed class action lawsuit was filed by Charlie Torres, an assistant maintenance engineer. 

TheWrap has reached out to Disney for comment.

Late last year, a class of female plaintiffs sued the Walt Disney Company over a gender pay gap. In December 2023, a Los Angeles judge certified the diverse group of workers in positions across the theme parks, record labels, movie production branch and home distribution arms among other units. A trial has been set for October of this year to unpack the discrimination lawsuit.

In October 2023, the California Supreme Court shot down an appeal from the conglomerate that challenged whether an Anaheim wage law covers its lowest-paid theme park employees. The California 4th District Court of Appeal ordered raises and back pay for “cast members” who work at the parks, which would greatly boost their income.

In the summer of 2023, hotel workers from the Hilton Anaheim, the Sheraton Park Hotel at the Anaheim Resort, the Hyatt Regency near LAX and the Hilton Irvine in Orange County went on strike for higher pay and better benefits. This round of walkouts was spurred when the workers’ contracts ended June 30.