Federal labor officials say the Patina Restaurant Group must offer reinstatement and pay back wages to a former Pizza Ponte cashier who was fired after taking part in a union drive at Disney Springs. The case follows more than a year of organizing and worker complaints that culminated in a regional NLRB filing this spring. On June 17, 2026, workers and elected officials gathered at a union event in Orlando to urge the company to comply with the board action.
What the NLRB alleges
According to the NLRB, the regional director filed an amended consolidated complaint on May 27, 2026, charging Patina Orlando LLC with unlawfully discharging an employee in violation of Section 8(a)(3) of the National Labor Relations Act. The matter is listed as case number 12-CA-354319 and traces back to an initial charge filed in November 2024. The complaint seeks remedies that could include reinstatement and back pay for the worker.
The worker and the organizing push
Julissa “Julie” Ruiz, identified by organizers as a former Pizza Ponte cashier, was suspended and then fired in October 2024 after participating in a pro-union leafleting event, as reported by Orlando Weekly. Ruiz has become a public face of the drive to organize five Patina restaurants at Disney Springs and has also spoken about sexual harassment she says she experienced on the job. She told supporters that the NLRB filing vindicated her and said the company still has the opportunity to reinstate her and pay back wages.
Patina's footprint and the wider fight
The Patina Group, a subsidiary of Delaware North, runs several dining concepts on the Disney Springs property, including Pizza Ponte, Maria & Enzo’s and The Edison, according to the company’s listings. What started as a workplace dispute has widened into a broader campaign: last month, workers and members of UNITE HERE Local 737 voted to urge Disney not to award new business to Patina amid the complaints. The organizing, along with pressure from local elected officials, has kept the dispute in the public eye while the agency pursues its case.
What's next
If Patina does not offer reinstatement, the worker and union organizers say a hearing is scheduled later this year, with the timeline they shared pointing to a Sept. 15, 2026, hearing, as reported by Orlando Weekly. Local lawmakers who joined the June 17 event criticized Patina's response to the board action, and U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost challenged the company to litigate its objections rather than delay remedies for a fired worker. Organizers say the case could become a bellwether for subcontracted hospitality workers at Disney and beyond.
Legal note
The complaint centers on an allegation of unlawful discharge under Section 8(a)(3), which prohibits retaliation for protected union activity. Remedies the board commonly seeks in such cases include reinstatement, back pay, and posting notices to employees. For background on remedies and timelines in unfair-labor-practice litigation, see the NLRB's overview of cases and procedures.
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