Disney Agrees to $43M Deal to Settle Class Action Over Women’s Pay

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As a seasoned gamer who has spent countless hours navigating the vast digital landscapes of Disney‘s imaginative worlds, it’s disheartening to learn about the real-life struggles of female employees within the company. Having grown up with the empowering messages hidden in Disney movies, I always believed that the magic extended beyond the screen into their corporate culture.

Disney is set to compensate approximately 9,000 female employees in California, totaling $43.25 million, as part of a settlement for alleged wage disparity claims.

According to their statement, under the agreement, Disney will work with specialists to tackle notable wage disparities, utilizing a model proposed by the lawyers of the involved women.

2019 saw the filing of a lawsuit that primarily concerned female employees at Disney, who had been working there since 2015. These women claimed they were being paid less than their male counterparts for comparable jobs. The lawsuit was initiated by LaRonda Rasmussen, a long-term product development manager at Walt Disney Studios, and Karen Moore, a senior copyright administrator with over two decades of service at Disney’s Hollywood Records. At that time, Disney refuted accusations of pay disparity across multiple departments in the class action lawsuit seeking up to $300 million.

The agreement was finalized in September; however, the details of the contract remain undisclosed. On Monday, the lawyers representing the plaintiffs requested approval for this deal. Tentatively, Judge Elihu M. Berle is set to review the agreement during a hearing on January 10th.

As a dedicated Disney fan, I’m proud to share that we’ve consistently prioritized fair compensation for our team members, a commitment clearly shown in the recent resolution of this matter. I’m thrilled we could find a solution that aligns with our values.

In her declaration, Lori Andrus, the main lawyer for the women, emphasized that Disney has pledged to conduct yearly pay equity assessments with the aim of enhancing pay fairness. She further stated, “I’m convinced this move will bolster the company’s status as a leading employer and significant economic contributor in California.

As a gamer, I’ve been following the ongoing legal case involving Disney closely, and last year, it took a significant leap forward when a judge approved a diverse group of employees from different divisions, such as movie production, record labels, theme parks, home distribution, broadcast, and research and development, to form one class in this lawsuit. This could potentially be one of the largest classes ever filing a claim under an equal pay act. I’m among those women who worked for Disney between April 2015 and just before the trial, which was set to start in May, at levels below vice president.

Christine Webber, one of the lawyers representing these brave women and a partner at Cohen Milstein, stated that this agreement wouldn’t have been achieved without their courage. She expressed optimism that the court will expedite its decision to approve the settlement, allowing these diligent women to advance with assurance that fair practices will be implemented and free from any additional legal disputes.

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2024-11-26 21:55