ORLANDO, Fla. – An arbitrator has ordered Walt Disney World to reinstate three performers who were dismissed when they refused to wear soiled spandex unitards as part of their costumes for "The Lion King" show.
The arbitrator ruled Monday that Disney violated language in a collective bargaining agreement guaranteeing that all costumes be clean and dry before performers use them.
Disney said the workers carried out an unauthorized work stoppage when they refused to put on the wet unitards last June, forcing the cancellation of a show.
The workers said their clean unitards became wet and sullied while hanging from a rack where sweaty costumes were pushed up against them.
The clean-costume provision was added to the agreement more than a decade ago after incidents of rashes, scabies and other infections.