About 43,000 more Disney employees will be furloughed due to coronavirus closures after an agreement was reached with the unions that represent them. The agreement with the Service Trades Council, a coalition of six unions, was announced Saturday on Facebook Live. The workers will be furloughed beginning on April 19. Under the agreements, workers will continue to get health and educational benefits during furloughs scheduled to start April 19.According to the unions, impacted workers will be immediately eligible to enroll in unemployment benefits through the state of Florida. The health care benefits will be free of cost to workers for a year. The workers will now be thrust into Florida’s already overwhelmed unemployment system as claims from hundreds of thousands of people out of work have bogged down the state website and call centers. Furloughed and laid-off workers have reported hourslong waits on the phone and entire days stuck in loops on a clogged website.Gov. Ron DeSantis says he’s hired 2,000 additional workers to sort through claims. And he says the Department of Economic Opportunity is working to increase its website’s capacity.Disney World and other theme parks across the U.S. have been closed since mid-March.
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. —
About 43,000 more Disney employees will be furloughed due to coronavirus closures after an agreement was reached with the unions that represent them.
The agreement with the Service Trades Council, a coalition of six unions, was announced Saturday on Facebook Live.
The workers will be furloughed beginning on April 19. Under the agreements, workers will continue to get health and educational benefits during furloughs scheduled to start April 19.
According to the unions, impacted workers will be immediately eligible to enroll in unemployment benefits through the state of Florida.
The health care benefits will be free of cost to workers for a year.
The workers will now be thrust into Florida’s already overwhelmed unemployment system as claims from hundreds of thousands of people out of work have bogged down the state website and call centers.
Furloughed and laid-off workers have reported hourslong waits on the phone and entire days stuck in loops on a clogged website.
Gov. Ron DeSantis says he’s hired 2,000 additional workers to sort through claims. And he says the Department of Economic Opportunity is working to increase its website’s capacity.
Disney World and other theme parks across the U.S. have been closed since mid-March.
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