Disney Animators' Strike - History

History

The 1930s led to a rise of labor unions in motion pictures as in other industries such as The Screen Actors Guild which was formed in 1933. Animators of Fleischer Studios went on strike in 1937 when Max Fleischer fired 15 employees, all who were a part of American Art-Union. The Fleischer strike was eventually solved by forming The Screen Cartoonists' Guild in 1938. The leader of the Guild was Herbert Sorrell who was described as a "tough left-winger". Sorrell's actions resulted in contracts with Terrytoons, Walter Lantz Productions, Screen Gems, George Pal and MGM. Leon Schlesinger, whose Leon Schlesinger Productions produced the popular Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies cartoons for Warner Bros., attempted a lockout, but gave in to the union after his employees went on strike. He then asked, "What about Disney?".

Although Disney artists were the best paid and worked under the best conditions in the industry, there was discontent. In the early days of the studio Walt Disney gave 20% of the profits of the short cartoons to his employees as bonuses. However Disney suspended this in 1936, during the production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, because although many of the employees had given Disney large quantities of free overtime during the drive to complete Snow White, the studio staff had grown to an enormous size and many critics felt Snow White would be a huge flop and the film was unlikely to make any money. Ironically Snow White was an enormous success, but Walt had previously read a book on psychology, so instead of giving out bonuses to everyone he gave out "salary adjustments" to certain animators who he felt did exceptional work. Those who he felt didn't live up to his expectations got nothing, but if they improved, they would get bonuses on his next film. However, in doing so, he had brought a number of workers up over the forty-dollar-a-week level, at which point, under the Wagner Labor Relations Act, the higher paid employees ceased being entitled to time-and-a-half for overtime.

Unfortunately, World War II cut off 40% of Disney's foreign release market, which led Disney's two following films, Pinocchio and Fantasia, to fail at the box office. In return, Disney could no longer afford to give the workers their bonuses, and Walt was forced to make salary cuts and lay-offs (although he rarely involved himself in the actual firing of employees). By this time these so called "salary adjustments" had caused the pay structure at the Disney studio to become very disorganized. Many of the animators joined the Screen Cartoonists Guild, including Art Babbitt who became one of the union leaders. Babbit then started questioning Walt's authority and "rallying his staff against him" in Walt's words.

As the biggest and most successful animation studio, Disney was an obvious target for the Screen Cartoonists' Guild. Sorrell approached Walt and aggressively demanded that he sign a salary agreement with the Guild and threatened to go on strike if he refused. Walt said that he should put it to vote with the National Labor Relations Board. Sorrel had lost an election before and demanded Disney sign with the union. Disney again stated he would put it to a vote. Sorrel claimed that Disney was a fool and he was going to "crush Disney to a dustbowl".

The final spark that started the strike was when Disney fired Babbit who he regarded as a "troublemaker" and a "Bolshevik". The next day on May 29, 1941, the strike began, instigated by Sorrell and led by Babbit.

The strike occurred during the making of the animated feature Dumbo, and a number of strikers are caricatured in the feature as clowns who go to "hit the big boss for a raise".

During the strike, animators from other studios offered support for the strikers. Animators from Warner Bros., including Chuck Jones, volunteered their cars to form a motorcade around the Disney studio.

The strike lasted five weeks. Toward the end, Disney accepted a suggestion by Nelson Rockefeller, then head of the Latin American Affairs office in the State department, that he make a tour of Latin America as a goodwill ambassador. His removal from the scene enabled passions to cool, and in his absence the strike was settled with the help of a federal mediator, who found in the Guild's favor on every issue. The Disney studio signed a contract and has been a union shop ever since.