In a letter to cast members, Walt Disney World President George Kalogridis informed them that they will be paid for shifts that were cancelled due to Hurricane Irma. This covers those covered by collective baragaining agreements as well as non-union cast members. Here is the letter he sent to the cast:
George Kalogridis
The word “unprecedented” is tossed around a lot, but Hurricane Irma was all of that and then some. As I write this, we have Cast Members who are going through the aftermath of the largest hurricane in Atlantic Tropical Cyclone history. We are deeply concerned about our Cast Members, and our immediate focus has been on assisting those whose homes were severely damaged.
Due to the unique nature of this powerful storm, every Walt Disney World Cast Member who lost a shift on Sunday, September 10 and Monday, September 11 is going to be paid for that canceled shift – whether or not that Cast Member is covered by a collective bargaining agreement. If a Cast Member has recorded a lost shift as personal holiday time, vacation, or sick pay, it will automatically be noted as time worked. No action on your part, is required. The Workforce Management Labor Attendance and Time Team will update all shifts for Sunday and Monday to worked shifts.
I realize that this is an exception to our usual practices. We are doing this because Hurricane Irma was an exceptional storm, which produced extenuating circumstances.
Please remember there are numerous resources available both internally and externally to help restore normalcy to our lives after this storm.