Walt Disney reached a tentative labor agreement with unionized employees at the Florida theme park, guaranteeing janitors, ride operators and food service staff a minimum wage of $18 an hour.
In the multiyear agreement, which is still subject to approval by members, employees will receive an increase of as much as $8.60 an hour at the end of the contract, with the first $3 coming this year, the union said in a statement.
The Service Trades Council Union, which represents about 45,000 staff at Walt Disney World resorts, has been negotiating with the company for months. In 2018, the group got a raise to $15 an hour. The contract expires in October.
In February, workers rejected an offer from Disney that the union said was insufficient.
Pay at Disney theme parks has been a perennial complaint by activists and labor groups. Abigail Disney heiress releases documentary, The American Dream and Other Talesabout the situation of low-paid company workers.
Unite Here Local 737, one of the unions, released a survey last year that said some theme park staff are skipping meals because they don’t have the money to pay for food. The workers cited the cost of living in central Florida as a reason for their wage demands.
Disney is one of the largest employers in Florida. Magic Kingdom Park is the most popular in the world, attracting 12.7 million guests in 2021.