Local 737 Unite Here, a union for restaurant workers at Walt Disney World, has announced that workers at EPCOT’s Italy Pavilion restaurants have announced plans to vote on a work strike. According to the union, if the strike is authorized, it will be the first time that employees have gone on strike within a Walt Disney World theme park in the resort’s history. Here’s the latest.
Restaurant Workers Could Strike in EPCOT’s Italy Pavilion
According to a press release from Local 737, restaurant workers in EPCOT’s Italy Pavilion have announced that they are scheduling a strike authorization vote. The workers are not first-party Walt Disney World Cast Members, but rather “Operating Participants”, which is Disney nomenclature for third-party workers. In the case of the restaurants in EPCOT’s Italy Pavilion, the third-party subcontractor that operates the restaurants is Patina Group.
The strike authorization vote is the latest move in a series of escalating pressure on Patina Group by Local 737 and the Patina Group employees. Local 737 says that the strike is due to a lack of adequate progress in contract negotiations.
The three restaurants at the Italy Pavilion at EPCOT – Via Napoli, Tutto Italia, and Tutto Gusto – are operated by Patina Group, a subsidiary of Delaware North, and are under a union contract that expires on September 30th.
The results of the strike authorization vote will be announced on September 10th. The vote authorizes the bargaining committee to call a strike at any time once the contract expires.
Other restaurants that are operated by Patina Group on Walt Disney World property include:
- Enzo’s Hideaway
- Morimoto
- Maria and Enzo’s
- Pizza Ponte
- The Edison
- Space 220
- Tutto Italia
- Via Napoli
- Tutto Gusto
Local 737 has launched a website outlining the issues and issuing a list of restaurants that could be impacted by a strike should it be authorized.
In addition to the strike authorization vote, disputes continue over an alleged violation of Disney policy by Patina Group.
A complaint was issued recently by a National Labor Relations Board Regional Director against Patina Group and includes six allegations of illegal surveillance by management, one allegation of a coercive threat, and one allegation that a General Manager illegally prohibited employee speech about protected organizing activity.
Two workers at Pizza Ponte, a Patina-operated restaurant in Disney Springs, reported sexual harassment by a supervisor. The supervisor remained on the job following the reports, and one of the employees, Julie Ruiz, was later terminated for wearing an earbud at work.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!
