Stalled contract jeopardizes relations between Disney’s new governing body and the fire department
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — After appointees of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis took over Walt Disney World’s administrative district earlier this year, the firefighters were among the few employees to publicly welcome them with open arms.
But that warm relationship is at stake now that a new district manager has reopened negotiations on a contract approved last month by unionized firefighters that promised wage increases and more manpower.
A vote on the contract was originally scheduled for last month at a meeting of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District Board of Supervisors. But it was never brought up and it was not on any agenda released ahead of the next meeting scheduled for Wednesday.
Under the three-year contract proposal that was overwhelmingly approved by 200 firefighters and first responders, annual starting wages for firefighters would increase from $55,000 to $65,000. It also promised to hire up to three dozen firefighters and paramedics.
At several meetings since the DeSantis-appointed supervisors took their seats this spring, Jon Shirey, who heads the fire union, praised them for visiting firefighters at their posts around the 101-square-mile Disney World property.
The firefighters looked forward to working with the new supervisors and administrator after years of clashes with their Disney-supporting predecessors, seeing the appointments as “an opportunity for a fresh start,” he said.
“Almost overnight, a change happened that we’ve never experienced before — transparency, open dialogue, the ability to sit down and speak up about our issues and feel heard,” Shirey told board members last month. “You have been able to build bridges that have burned down for a long time.”
The feeling was mutual, with board chairman Martin Garcia saying last month that the supervisors were working with the firefighters to resolve their issues. Still, Garcia made it clear that the firefighters weren’t the only county employees the board wanted to support.
“We also need to let the (other) employees know that we love you too. We care about you. We love you as much as we love our firefighters,” Garcia said.
But the delay in contract approval has alienated the firefighters’ union, which last year supported DeSantis’ gubernatorial reelection campaign, which recently launched a campaign for the GOP presidential nomination in 2024.
The old contract expired four years ago, and the firefighters declared a deadlock last year as the district’s administration continued to be controlled by Disney supporters. Reedy Creek professional firefighters, room 2117 been warning for years that they are understaffed, posing a safety risk as the central Florida theme park resort expands.
Last month, District Administrator John Classe, who originally negotiated the new contract, was replaced on the board with Glenton Gilzean, a DeSantis ally who was previously president and CEO of the Central Florida Urban League and will receive a $400,000 salary in his new job. . The district also pays Classe to stay on as a special advisor.
Board spokesman Alexei Woltornist said negotiations with the union continued, without explaining why they were reopened with a contract already approved by the firefighters and first responders.
“Administrator Gilzean is actively working with the fire department to secure a deal that will provide a competitive compensation package and give firefighters the resources they need to protect the public,” Woltornist said in an email to The Associated Press.
Officials from the fire union did not comment.
While Gilzean may alienate the firefighters whose support gave the DeSantis takeover some legitimacy, he may gain credibility with other constituencies within the Disney administrative district and create some distance between himself and his predecessor, said Richard Foglesong, a professor emeritus at Rollins. College provided a definitive account of the Disney World board in his book “Married to the Mouse: Walt Disney World and Orlando.”
“He’s an unproven driver, but here he shows he’s no fuss when dealing with a grumpy bunch, which frankly impresses me,” Foglesong said.
The DeSantis appointees took over Disney World’s board of directors earlier this year after a years of feud between the company and DeSantis. The battle started last year after Disney was ravaged by considerable pressure internally and externally publicly opposes a state law banning classroom classes on sexual orientation and gender identity in the first grades, a call from policy critics “Don’t say gay.”
As punishment, DeSantis took over the district through legislation passed by Florida lawmakers appointing a new Board of Supervisors to oversee municipal services for the sprawling theme parks and hotels. But before the new board took office, the company made deals with previous supervising board members that stripped the new supervisors of their authority over design and construction.
Disney sued DeSantis and the five-member board, which asked a federal judge to void the governor’s takeover of the theme park district, as well as the actions of the board of trustees, as violations of the company’s freedom of speech.
The board sued Disney in an effort to maintain control over the construction and design of Disney World.
The district came into being in 1967 when then Florida Governor Claude Kirk signed into law authorizing the land to regulate land use, enforce building codes, treat wastewater, control drainage, maintain utilities, and provide fire protection. offer at Disney World.
Such private governments are not uncommon in fast-growing Florida, which has more than 600 community development districts that manage and pay for infrastructure in new communities.
___
Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at @MikeSchneiderAP
