Judge approves landmark lawsuit against Disney over gender pay gap

Judge approves landmark lawsuit against Disney over gender pay gap – Lawsuit includes complaints from nearly 9,000 women, an unprecedented legal move.

By Megan Sauer

Disney is one of the most powerful companies around the globe, and this label is not only reserved for the world of entertainment.

The company has managed to extend its arms to several areas and managed to change many of the trends that Hollywood currently manages and that define the success of its films.

It is true that some divisions such as Marvel and Lucasfilm have failed in recent years, but the production company still has a lot. That is why lawsuits against the studio are not so strange, but a judge has just approved one that could change things forever, as it is related to the treatment that women receive within Disney.

Disney and its behind-the-scenes controversies

Although the company releases several projects a year in film, television and streaming, and looks for a way to update its theme parks, everything behind this involves the work of thousands of people, and many of them do not consider the company to continue clear measures to ensure their labor rights. For example, Scarlett Johansson had no problem suing the production company because the dual release of Black Widow caused her to lose millions in profits, and many Pixar workers walked out of their jobs in protest at the lack of protection for the company’s employees. LGBTQ+ community

In 2019, Indiewire reported a very disturbing complaint about the company involving thousands of female workers who said they had clear evidence that Disney had failed in its responsibility to ensure they were paid fairly compared to their male colleagues. The plaintiffs came from divisions such as the original film and television studios, the parks and hotels division, Lucasfilm, Marvel, ABC, and even Imagineering, an organization dedicated to the creation of new games and plans for the company’s parks.

Demands within companies this large are not strange, since there are many divisions with particular management and not all of them are positive or adequate. To maintain order and even protect their reputation, it is not unusual for higher-ups to approve significant amounts of money to reach agreements with plaintiffs, but this solution does not always work, and many genuinely want to change things by promoting a difficult movement. to ignore.

Disney to go to trial to respond to accusations of gender pay disparity

After several years doing everything possible to confront one of the most powerful companies in the world, today it is confirmed that Disney will have to face almost 9,000 workers who have complaints about their salaries during their time at the company. According to IndieWire , Judge Elihu M. Berle finally approved the lawsuit to take it to trial, leaving an important precedent in the equal pay law in California that makes it illegal to pay a man more than a woman when they cover the same positions.

Lori Andrus, an attorney for the plaintiffs, welcomed the court’s decision

These are important cases to reduce the pay gap and expose discriminatory pay practices. We are honored to represent the brave women who have come forward to tell the stories of so many women who are treated as cheap labor. We’re glad the judge saw through Disney’s tactics. Justice is the goal. That’s all.

For her part, Felicia Davis , a lawyer for Disney, shared her discontent with the decision (via Variety ) and said that the process would be chaotic because the plaintiffs seek to compare hundreds of salaries and jobs.

Likewise, he said that it was unrealistic to think that because they have a similar position they should earn the same, and compared the situation with jobs such as chefs, nurses and architects to explain that they all have the same name, but not the same responsibilities nor are they under the same commands.

The trial is expected to begin in October 2024 and a status conference will be held in February where dates will be reviewed and information about the lawsuit will be updated.