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Florida & Gulf Coast  | 

Walt Disney World to Furlough 43K Workers

Disney World plans to furlough another 43,000 union workers in Central Florida starting April 19. The Service Trades Council Union, a coalition of six locals, announced the news Saturday on Facebook Live. Disney World parks shut down March 16 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The coalition indicated Disney agreed to provide free health care benefits for a year and will keep paying for Disney Aspire, a program that gives workers a free education. The union says roughly 200 union workers deemed essential will stay on the job.

Matt Hollis, the coalition’s president, called the deal “a great agreement for the worst of times.”

Among the benefits furloughed employees will receive:
Worker jobs, seniority, wage rate and benefits are guaranteed through the furlough, and continuing on if an employee stays on furlough after the park reopens.
Health insurance (including medical, dental, life, etc.) for up to 12 months, including both full-time workers as well as part-time workers.

Disney World is poised to furlough most of its 77,000 employees, both union and non-union.

Other theme parks furloughing employees include SeaWorld Entertainment Inc, and Universal Orlando Resort.

For comments, questions or concerns, please contact Dennis Kaiser

Connect

Inside The Story

Read more at Service Trade Council Union Press ConferenceRead more at Union Settlement AgreementConnect With Disney World

About Dennis Kaiser

Dennis Kaiser is Vice President of Public Relations and Communications for Connect Creative. Dennis is a communications leader with more than 40 years of experience including as a journalist and in corporate and agency marketing communications roles. He is responsible for Connect Creative’s agency client services and is involved in a range of initiatives ranging from public relations and content strategy, communications and message development, copywriting, media relations, social media and content marketing services. Prior to joining Connect Media in 2015, his most recent corporate communications roles involved leading a regional public relations effort across Southern California for CBRE, playing a key marketing role on JLL’s national retail team, and directing the global public relations effort at ValleyCrest (BrightView), the nation’s largest commercial landscape services company. He has worked on marketing communications assignments for such CRE companies as Blackstone/Equity Office, Carlyle, Caruso, Disney Resorts, GE Capital, Irvine Company, Hines, Howard Hughes Corp., Jeffries, Lennar, MGM, Marcus & Millichap, Prologis, Raleigh Studios, Simon, Starwood, Trammell Crow Company, Transamerica, UBS and Wynn Resorts. Dennis has also worked on communications and launch strategies for a number of consumer electronic, media and tech brands including SlingMedia, Channel Master, Deluxe Media Entertainment, BeIn Sports, EchoStar and Sprint. Dennis’s agency background included firms such as Off Madison Ave., Idea Hall and Macy + Associates. He has earned an outstanding reputation with organization leaders as a trusted advisor, strategic program implementer, consensus builder and exceptional collaborator. Dennis has developed and managed national communications programs for Fortune 500 companies to start-ups, both public and private. He’s successfully worked with journalists across the globe representing clients involved in major-breaking news stories, product launches, media tours, and company news announcements. Dennis has been involved in a host of charitable and community organizations including the American Cancer Society, Easter Seals, Boy Scouts, Chrysalis Foundation, Freedom For Life, HOLA, L.A.’s BEST, Reach Out and Read, Super Bowl Host Committee, and the Thunderbirds Charities.

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