Full-time Disney cast members may not actually be safe from furlough, union says

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Full-time Walt Disney World cast members may not actually be safe from getting furloughed again.

Employees were delivered that news during a virtual meeting with their union on Thursday night. Union leaders tried to help its members understand what was happening with their jobs.

Universal Orlando announces more layoffs

The issue is displacement transfers, which is how the union has retained jobs for full-time cast members. The Council of Unions that negotiated with Disney, signed on to an agreement that every full-time worker would be offered a job.

But there are some caveats.

Not every full-time worker will be offered their same role because there may not be a business need for it for year. So they’ll be offered a displacement transfer to a full-time role that is needed.

Because of medical leaves, more senior cast members could bump people already called back to work. They’ll be transferred or, if there’s no business need yet for the position, could possibly be furloughed again depending on the transfer they choose.

Disney layoffs: Here’s how to help, get help

And the paychecks for the transferred positions could be smaller.

In order to save full-timer’s jobs, the union said they couldn’t find a way to also save part-timers.

Part-timers and full-timers who don’t accept a transfer will be paid for 60 days starting Nov. 1 before they’re laid off and lose health insurance.

More than 8,800 part-time Disney cast members laid off, union says

Video: Theme parks lay off more employees due to pandemic Central Florida theme parks have laid off more employees due to the pandemic.

Cox Media Group