Credit: photo by Phil Whitehouse/CC

A group of over a million mothers and their families, including 60,000 in Florida, is calling on Walt Disney World to publicly oppose legislation in Florida that would effectively roll back certain protections of child labor law for minors 16 and older, if approved by the state Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Walt Disney World, based in Orlando, is the state’s largest employer and a prominent member of the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association, an industry trade group that has argued in favor of the legislation, which records show was drafted by a Florida-based right-wing think tank.

The FRLA, which also represents industry giants like Universal Orlando and the parent companies of chains like McDonald’s and Olive Garden, has argued the legislation  filed for Florida’s 2024 legislative session would help employers in the largely low-wage, non-union hospitality and tourism industries address ongoing labor shortages and give young workers the “flexibility” to work longer hours than currently legally permitted.

“Florida’s hospitality industry has career training and employment opportunities readily available, and additional labor is much needed,” the FRLA wrote in a document (removed from their website this week) listing their legislative priorities for 2024. “The industry would be eager to open these opportunities to hardworking 16- and 17-year-old Floridians.”

Samantha Padgett, a lobbyist for the industry group, has publicly advocated for the legislation as it has made its way through the state legislature, telling lawmakers in a Florida House committee in December that the proposal had received a “flood of support” from the trade group’s members.

“We believe the intent is not to erode the importance of education, but to reduce unnecessary and restrictive regulation, expand available staffing, and grow financial and career development opportunities for young Floridians,” Padgett told the House Regulatory Reform and Economic Development subcommittee, which approved the bill in a 10-5 vote along party lines.

Currently, under Florida law, employers are not allowed to work minors under 18 more than 30 hours per week during the school year, for more than eight hours per day, or for more than six days in a row. Employers are also legally required to give minors 30-minute breaks every four hours on the job.

House Bill 49, sponsored by Florida Republican Rep. Linda Chaney, would remove those restrictions and requirements specifically for teenagers 16 and older, whom Chaney has previously described as “youth workers” and “not children.” The similar Senate Bill 1596, sponsored by Sen. Danny Burgess (father of three young children), would still forbid putting minors to work more than 30 hours while school is in session, but would gut other restrictions on hours and eliminate breaks not otherwise offered by employers for legal adults.

Under Florida law, minors are already allowed to request waivers to be exempted from the law, which also carves out children who are employed by their parents, employed in domestic settings, and who have already graduated from high school or received a high school diploma. This has led critics of the new legislation to question why — or rather whom — the industry-backed legislation is really designed to serve.

MomsRising, a grassroots organization of over a million parents advocating for economic security for families, formally called out Disney on Wednesday for indirectly supporting the proposed child labor rollbacks through their affiliation with the FRLA, which represents thousands of businesses statewide, including nearly 1,000 restaurants, hotels, and suppliers in Central Florida alone.

“The happiest place on earth must not support laws that put our teens at risk. Mickey Mouse can be the hero of this story if Disney and the FRLA stand up for our kids.”

“Moms and families are Disney’s core customers, and we strongly support the child labor laws that protect children’s health, workplace welfare, and education,” Nina Perez, the Florida director of MomsRising and national director for the group’s Early Learning campaign, shared in a statement. “We are sending a message to Disney, all FRLA members, and Florida lawmakers that we oppose child labor and oppose passage of these bills.”

Research has found that working more than 20 hours per week can have negative effects on children’s academic performance, and can increase the risk of skipping school and other behavioral problems, like drug use. Young workers are also more likely to be injured on the job and are less likely to speak up if their boss fails to pay them all of what they’re lawfully owed or steals their tips.

Child labor violations in the U.S. South occur most commonly in the restaurant, retail, construction and amusement industries, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division, which serves as the primary enforcement mechanism for federal child labor standards.

The state of Florida dedicates just seven employees to the enforcement of child labor law, a spokesperson for the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulations (tasked with enforcing state child labor law) confirmed to Orlando Weekly in December.

“The safety, health, well-being, and education of our children must come first,” Perez, with MomsRising, continued in her statement. “The happiest place on earth must not support laws that put our teens at risk. Mickey Mouse can be the hero of this story if Disney and the FRLA stand up for our kids.”

The group, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment, says they’ve collected the signatures of thousands of moms, parents and Disney fans urging the theme park giant to publicly oppose the legislation. The House version (HB 49) is set to be heard by the full Florida House on Thursday after clearing three Republican-dominated committees of lawmakers with majority approval.

Walt Disney World, which employs over 70,000 employees, did not respond to Orlando Weekly‘s emailed request for comment on Wednesday afternoon after MomsRising’s call to action. We will update this post with any response that comes in.

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This article appears in Jan 31 – Feb 6, 2024.

General news reporter for Orlando Weekly, with a focus on state and local government and workers' rights. You can find her bylines in Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, In These Times, and Facing South.