Disney performers fired after refusing to wear "soiled" costumes

Leah Zanolla | Posted: Oct 26, 2014 | Updated: Oct 26, 2014 - 10:45:31 PM

Three Walt Disney World cast members have been fired after refusing to put on costumes that they say were "tainted" with other people's sweat. The performers were in the Festival of the Lion King show at Disney's Animal Kingdom. They are currently appealing their filing through the Teamsters union and a federal arbitrator.

The performers claim that their clean unitards were hanging on a rack and a rack full of sweaty costumes was pushed up against it. Doug Biederman, one of the performers, said, "We felt the unitards that were clean had absorbed sweat from the costumes that were already there. We said, 'We don't know what to do. Obviously wearing these costume pieces isn't an option because they're soiled. They're not wearable.'"

According to the fired workers, they had asked the unitards to be washed, but they weren't. They claim that managers had said the costumes were in acceptable condition and that they could spray Febreze on them. When the performers refused to wear the costumes, that performance was cancelled at the last minute.

The union is hoping to get the performers reinstated with back pay.