Disneyland has agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit for $233 million, covering over 50,000 current and former Disney employees.
The settlement includes back pay with interest and awaits final approval from the Orange County Superior Court Judge.
Driving the news: The lawsuit alleged that Disneyland cast members did not benefit from an Anaheim minimum wage law, requiring a $15 minimum wage for companies in the resort area with tax rebate agreements.
- The legal battle started in 2018 when Anaheim voters passed Measure L, and Disney asked the city to dissolve certain tax breaks. However, a class-action lawsuit filed in 2019 on behalf of cast members asserted that Disney violated the law by not paying a living wage.
The big picture: Currently, all Disney cast members make at least the Measure L requirement of $19.90 per hour, and 95% of them earn more.
- Last summer, Disneyland reached an agreement with unions representing 14,000 workers to raise the base pay to $24 an hour.
- Measure L is set to further increase the minimum wage pay to $20.42 on January 1, 2025, in Anaheim, marking a significant victory for Disney employees and setting a precedent for fair compensation in the industry.
