<p>ORLANDO, Fla. &mdash; Universal Orlando Resort announced Thursday that it’s raising the starting minimum wage at the Florida theme park complex to $15 an hour.</p>
<p>Universal says the higher wages apply to both full and part-time workers starting June 27. That makes Universal the first resort in central Florida’s theme park mecca to raise its base pay to $15 an hour, though unionized workers at its cross-town rival, Walt Disney World, three years ago approved a contract raising the hourly minimum to $15 by October 2021. Universal workers aren’t unionized.</p>
<p>The wage hike applies only to the Florida resort and not to its other parks, Universal spokesman Tom Schroder said in an email. But other employees among its 21,000-person workforce also will gain pay increases, based on job requirements and their time at the resort, the company said. </p>
<p>The resort is now hiring thousands of workers for what is expected to be a busy summer fueled by pent-up demand from the pandemic.</p>
<p>“We are excited about our future and we want team members who will be excited to be part of that journey,” said John Sprouls, chief administrative officer for Universal Parks &amp; Resorts. “This is about taking care of both our current team members and those who will be joining our team."</p>