ESPN Zone Fails to Respond to Worker-imposed Deadline
ESPN Zone failed to meet a worker-imposed deadline to meet face to face. On Wednesday, June 30, ESPN Zone workers and harbor workers called on ESPN Zone to meet face to face with workers to resolve human rights violations, including violation of the WARN Act. Workers set a seven day deadline for ESPN Zone to respond to their demand to meet face to face.
To recap, ESPN Zone did not give workers 60 days notice before closing the restaurant on June 15th. What ESPN Zone is offering workers for failing to give adequate notice falls way below what is required under the WARN Act, a severe blow to workers that depend on the busy summer season to offset a slow winter season. If the Disney-owned ESPN Zone was committed to worker dignity and respect, they would sit across the table with workers to ensure a fair closing process.
The ESPN Human Rights Committee will be meeting to discuss next steps in ensuring that workers human rights are respected and how this connects to the larger fight for Fair Development at the Inner Harbor. As Winston Gupton, ESPN worker, expressed at the press conference, “This is for anyone whose human rights are being violated, whether this is Houlihan’s, Cheesecake Factory, or Hard Rock. There are thousands of people who work down here at the harbor and being united will build the power and the leverage needed to move the developers to be on the side of justice.”
