An Orange County Superior Court judge Friday praised a proposed $233 million settlement with Disney in a class action suit stemming from a dispute over Anaheim's minimum wage law and could be on track to sign off on it by the end of next month.
Orange County Superior Court Judge William D. Claster is being asked to sign off on the settlement agreement reached last month. The agreement also seeks attorneys' fees up to nearly $35 million.
Claster "had some very minor questions" to clear up before approving it, according to Randy Renick, one of the plaintiffs' attorneys.
Claster "complimented" the attorneys who worked on the settlement, Renick added.
"This one will almost certainly be approved Feb. 28," when Claster scheduled another hearing, Renick said.
"We're thrilled for the class members to reach the settlement after six years of difficult litigation," Renick said.
Renick praised fellow attorneys Rich McCracken and Sarah Grossman-Swenson for their role on the appeal that overturned a lower-court dismissal of the claims.
The class in the lawsuit includes about 51,000 workers, and the settlement is meant to compensate them for lost wages, service charges and retirement contributions during the salary dispute.
"The proposed settlement additionally includes resolution of approximately $5.7 million in underpaid service charges throughout the class period," the attorneys said in court papers.
In 2023, appellate court justices ruled in favor of the union workers who sued and the state Supreme Court did not take up an appeal.
Disney has been complying with the minimum wage since the Supreme Court's denial of an appeal.
"The settlement is an excellent result for the class, and avoids a trial and likely appeals," the attorneys said in court papers.
The lawsuit was filed Dec. 6, 2019. The suit alleged the company violated the city's minimum wage ordinance of at least $15 - $17 an hour adopted in 2018.
Disney officials argued the ordinance did not apply for its workers and won a motion to dump the case Nov. 1. The plaintiffs appealed and won a reversal of the lower court ruling July 13, 2023.
The appellate justices ruled that because Disney receives subsidies from the city it has to comply with the minimum wage.