Three Disney employees have been given their jobs back after being fired in June for refusing to wear contaminated costumes at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. A federal arbitrator said that Disney “violated a collective bargaining agreement by firing them” and the employees will receive back pay and no reprimands will be in their files.
The three cast members were performers at the Festival of the Lion King show, and said that other performers’ sweaty costumes had touched their clean costumes. Due to the contamination, they wouldn’t wear the costumes. The performance had to be canceled and Disney fired the three cast members. The employee union claimed that Disney “violated its contract by providing unsanitary clothing.”
Drew Pearson, one of the performers, said, “I’m really, really happy that everything ended up working out in the end. This is just awesome news.” He has been working at Starbucks as a shift supervisor since being let go from Disney; he plans to continue that job as well.
Donna-Lynne Dalton, recording secretary and business agent for the Teamsters Local 385, said that money the performers earned in other jobs since June will be subtracted from the back pay they earn from Disney. She also said that Disney “initially offered to rehire the employees but not for performing jobs and without back pay.”
News source: Orlando Sentinel
