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Arbitrator Restores Union Button Rights for Patina Workers at EPCOT’s Italy Pavilion

Contract talks restart March 25 with union demands for higher pay, family health coverage, a stronger pension, plus a 20% gratuity.

Overview

  • An arbitrator ruled Patina’s ban on union buttons violated Article 7 of the collective bargaining agreement and Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act, issuing a cease-and-desist order.
  • The case stemmed from late February instructions telling front-of-house staff to remove the buttons or be sent home, according to workers and the union.
  • The decision reaffirms employees’ right to wear union insignia on shift at Tutto Italia, Tutto Gusto, and Via Napoli in EPCOT’s Italy Pavilion.
  • UNITE HERE Local 737 continues negotiations seeking $8 in raises over three years, free family health insurance, an improved pension, and a 20% automatic gratuity.
  • Patina Restaurant Group, a Delaware North subsidiary operating several EPCOT venues, faces heightened scrutiny of third-party labor practices on Disney property, including calls from local Democrats for review.