Disney will be cutting jobs in its theme parks division as part of a move to lay off 7,000 workers across the company, the chairman of the group said in an email to employees Thursday.
Josh D’Amaro said Disney does not expect the layoffs to affect workers in hourly frontline roles at the theme parks. His message did not say how many jobs in the Parks, Experiences and Products division are expected to be cut or whether the layoffs would primarily affect workers in California or Florida.
Eric Clinton, president of Unite Here Local 362 at Walt Disney World, said the resort’s service workers will not be laid off. These employees’ positions are protected by the Service Trades Council Union’s contract with Disney, he said.
“You don’t save the company money by cutting your lowest-paid workers,” he said, adding that Disney World is hiring hundreds of people into these roles weekly.
State records show Disney has not filed any mass layoff notices with the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. Federal law requires companies to provide 60 days’ notice of layoffs affecting 50 or more workers.
“The company is targeting significant savings across all businesses, and the reorganization will result in necessary reductions to our overall workforce,” D’Amaro wrote. “While our teams have made great progress in contributing to cost savings, these measures affect every segment and organization — including ours — and are vital as we implement more cost-effective, coordinated, and streamlined operations.”
His message promised workers Disney’s leadership “will do everything we can to be transparent as things progress” and “will act with respect and care every step of the way” as it conducts the layoffs.
Disney CEO Bob Iger announced the cuts targeting about 3% of Disney’s global workforce during the company’s first-quarter earnings call Wednesday. He said they formed part of Disney’s efforts to reduce $5.5 billion in costs but did not say which divisions would be affected
Iger praised the performance of Disney’s theme parks during the call, saying he was “very, very bullish about our parks. ... Demand on the parks is extraordinary right now.”
D’Amaro’s email also mentioned Disney’s reorganization into three segments, Disney Entertainment, ESPN, and Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, a change also announced Wednesday.
He told employees he would retain his position under the restructuring and thanked them for their work.
“It’s an incredible privilege to lead Disney Parks, Experiences and Products and work with all of you as we collaborate with teams across the company to embark on this next chapter in Disney’s history,” he wrote.
