In a recent development, entertainment giant Disney has been hit with a class action lawsuit, filed in Orange County Superior Court on Thursday, for allegedly underpaying maintenance workers at its Southern California hotels near its theme park. The lawsuit also accuses Disney of violating labor laws in various other ways.

The complaint, brought forward by assistant maintenance engineer Charlie Torres, seeks to represent a group of over 115 current and former workers and is demanding at least $1 million in back pay. According to the lawsuit, workers were forced to cover the cost of their own tools while not receiving the required double minimum wage and correct overtime rate.

The filing of this lawsuit comes at a time when workers in the entertainment industry are facing a growing cost of living and poverty crisis. A recent study conducted by the UCLA Labor Center on Universal Studios Hollywood theme park employees revealed widespread poverty, with 44 percent of workers expressing concerns about being evicted from their homes. More than half of the workers reported cutting down on their meals or skipping them altogether due to financial constraints, and a quarter of the workforce relied on food stamps, food banks, or other need-based donation programs for assistance.

The complaint against Disney also alleges that the company failed to provide workers with adequate rest and meal periods, as well as accurate wage statements to ensure correct payment. The blatant disregard for labor laws is being described as "willful and deliberate" by the lawyer representing the proposed class.

This is not the first lawsuit that Disney has faced regarding labor practices. A discrimination lawsuit, alleging systematic underpayment of women, cleared a major hurdle in December when a Los Angeles judge certified a diverse class of employees across various divisions of the company. The trial for this lawsuit is set to begin in October next year.

Disney has yet to respond to requests for comment regarding the recent lawsuit. The company's handling of these allegations will be under scrutiny as it faces legal challenges related to fair pay and worker rights across multiple fronts.