Emails: Disney ‘Loosened Reins’ On Employment Black List Following Negative Reports

06.15.2015 | Surge Wire |

The laid off American tech workers Disney forced to train their own replacements are no longer on a “black list” that bars Disney contractors from hiring them, according to emails from at least one recruiting firm.

“You were right about them loosening the reins,” a recruiter wrote in an email obtained byThe Daily Caller News Foundation, after the firm reached out directly to Disney. “They will take it on a case by case basis, but it is not written in stone about the 1 year break.”

One of the laid off workers, who spoke to TheDCNF on condition of anonymity, learned of the black list June 1, when a recruiter tried to place him with a company contracting with Disney. He was told he’s ineligible for the job because he was affected by the so-called restructuring in January.

A spokeswoman for Disney told TheDCNF on June 5 that the recruiting firm had provided the applicant with the wrong information, because there is not and never was such a “black list.” She said Disney would call the contractors to ensure they had the right information.

The laid off worker called the recruiting firm for clarification. They initially told him the policy had not changed, and had definitely been in place as of the end of May, but promised to check with Disney. (RELATED: Disney Blacklisted Displaced American Workers)

The “loosening” of the reins occurred on the heels of reports from TheDCNF and from The New York Times that detailed labor practices at Disney. (RELATED: Rubio, Jeb Silent On Disney Layoffs As Dem Demands Investigation)

In regards to the reversal, the spokeswoman for Disney simply reiterated to TheDCNF that no such policy ever existed, and that Disney had called around to ensure its vendors had the right information. She said the recruiter had the policy wrong and asked TheDCNF to reveal the name of the firm.

“Disney must have changed [the policy] after all the bad press,” the laid off worker told TheDCNF. (RELATED: Disney ABC Cancels Plans To Layoff Dozens Of Tech Workers)

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