Disney World reaches union deal with minimum $18 hourly wage

By MIKE SCHNEIDER
Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Unions for service workers at Walt Disney World have reached a tentative deal with the company that would raise the starting minimum wage from $15 to $18. Disney World service workers who are in the six unions that make up the Service Trades Council Union coalition planned to vote on the contract proposal next Wednesday. They rejected an earlier offer last month. The agreement reached Thursday covers around 45,000 service workers at the Disney theme park resort outside Orlando. Union leaders say workers could see their hourly wages rise between $5.50 and $8.60 an hour by the end of the five-year contract, if it’s approved.