The Disney strike of '41

[Big Disney Fan]

A lot of us know about the Disney strike of 1941, which forever severed the ties between Walt Disney and his staff.

Those of you who don't know what it is, just go to this website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disney_animators%27_strike.

I know Walt was never truly the same again after the strike, but was he never happy with his staff ever again?

[ah92us]

I think he would've been somewhat happy; thanks for the info!

[Big Disney Fan]

I think he would've been somewhat happy; thanks for the info!

But in the wake of the strike and the unions running them, the close ties between Walt and his staff had been ripped asunder. In the words of one of many Walt biographies:

Walt was not happy with the terms, which gave the strikers everything they wanted, including a guarantee that in any and all future layoffs, strikers and nonstrikers would be fired in equal numbers. Subsequently, a number of the gifted artists who struck left on their own; they no longer found the Disney studio an enjoyable working place.

"It was the toughest period I've had in my whole life," Walt said. His relationship with his employees changed forever. He now looked at them in a more cynical way. No longer would he keep people on the payroll because he didn't have the heart to fire them. Staffers had to punch into a time clock now. The snack shop that delivered to offices was closed.

Gone were the days when he thought of the whole studio as a big, happy family. Family didn't hurt you like that.

So you see, I'm just trying to figure if, in the aftermath of the strike, if he was ever truly happy with the staff again, if you get my drift.

[kodiak]

In a biography written by a close family friend, he and Walt's personal secretary whith whom he was very close, notes that when the strike was over, he warmly welcomed everyone back and treated them well, with the exception of an employee who had yelled insults at Walt as he exited his car to enter the studio while the strike was on. he simply treated the guy as he didnt exist until he quit. Walt had a certain way with interacting with his employees. they just had to know how he worked. when to approach, when not, etc. The people who learned who and how Walt was ended up staying while others got butt hurt and left.
To me, the 41 strike was a travesty and severe injustice towards Walt and his studio, led by union reps and teamsters who were not looking out for the good of the workers, but themselves.

[HMF]

I know Walt was never truly the same again after the strike, but was he never happy with his staff ever again?
Walt seemed to get along with his staff after that. As many of you probably know, There were 9 animators whom Walt dubbed the 9 Old Men, who stayed at the studio from Snow White through the early 80s like Marc Davis, Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, Ward Kimball etc. I am not sure if they were Unionized or part of the strike but they stayed loyal to Walt for many years.;)

[PeoplemoverMatt]

There also was this little thing called World War II going on at the time...

-- PMM :cool:

[Big Disney Fan]

You know, this is just my opinion, but maybe you ought to get the very extensive biography about Walt written by Neal Gabler to see just how "happy" he was to welcome his employees back.

Mind you, this is just a suggestion; you don't have to if you don't want to, but it's just an idea.