ORLANDO, Fla. – Disney workers who were fired after refusing to wear soiled costumes in the Festival of the Lion King show will now get their jobs back after a federal arbitrator ruled against Disney.
Initially, Disney claimed the workers plotted to take down its most popular show, but three workers said they only refused to perform because the uniforms were dirty, sweaty and unsanitary.
"We brought an issue that concerns our health and safety in the workplace and to be disciplined for that was unimaginable," said Doug Biederman.
The three workers listed in the arbitrator's decision, Raymond "Doug" Biederman, Drew Pearson and Matthew Warfield, each spent years performing as Disney characters and had had no previous discliplinary issues.
They were fired after refusing to go on stage June 10, 2014.
The Lion King show is high-performance and workers sweat through their clothing. Costumes are regularly sun-dried, but on that day last June, rain forced drying costumes inside where dirty and sweaty costumes mixed with clean ones.
The federal arbitrator said workers had a right to demand clean outfits.
In the past, uniforms gave performers scabies, rashes and even ring worm.
"Knowing situations that have happened in the past with rashes, we just didn't want to take the risk," Pearson said.
All three of those workers now have their jobs back along with back pay and seniority.
Disney told Local 6 it will "comply with the arbitration decision."