Search Results for: blog the disney studio strike part 2

The 1941 Walt Disney Animators Strike

The Walt Disney Corporation has such a good family-friendly image.  It really styles itself as an ideal place to work.  We can only imagine that things were even better in Disney’s golden era, when the man himself was still running things.  But that wasn’t always the case; in fact, in 1941 hundreds of Disney animators went on strike. The Business Insider has some fantastic photographs of and other images from the strike, and of the materials the strikers were circulating.  But it’s a bit lacking on the specific details of why animators would go on strike, especially so soon after … Continue reading →

Disney Purchases Facebook Gaming Company

Walt Disney Corporate’s certainly busy buying up companies lately. First they officially took charge of Pixar, then Marvel, and now, according to the Washington Times, they’re preparing to buy Playdom for $563.2 million. So what’s Playdom? If you’ve ever played a game on Facebook like Sorority Life or Social City, then you’ve used a Playdom product; Playdom makes many of the little games available for play on Facebook, MySpace, or fancier cell phones. Playdom isn’t the only electronic/online property Disney’s snatched recently. Just a month ago it also purchased Tapulous, the maker of a popular iPhone music game, and in … Continue reading →

Women’s History at Disney

In recent years more credit and accolades have gone to those behind the birth of animation, through the many acknowledgments (including a 2005 documentary) to Disney’s famous “Nine Old Men,” the main animators responsible for Disney’s golden age. But these Nine Old Men were backed by more than their mostly-male animation department. For the glory years of Disney’s early animation, from the first cartoon shorts to the feature films leading up to World War II, the department in charge of all the inking and painting of the drawings was staffed almost exclusively by women. In honor of Women’s History Month, … Continue reading →

Walt Disney World Agrees To 3-Year Contract With Union

It looks like a third of Walt Disney World’s workers will keep working as their Union has approved a new three-year contract. The agreement was reached in mid-June and includes an agreement to cooperate on scheduling plans, increases in pay (4 to 5% annually) and an enhanced pension plan. A previous plan, submitted in May, was rejected by the Union because of concerns with health care and raises. Service Trades Council The Service Trades Council represents about 21,000 employees of Walt Disney World. Members of the union include food service, lifeguards, vacation planners, merchandise personnel, janitors and stage technicians. According … Continue reading →

What Goes on Behind the Scenes at Disney

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a cast member at one of the Disney parks or resorts? Maybe you think this would be an ideal job? Disney employs a great many individuals in various capacities from vendors to characters to performers and much, more. Well, if you’ve ever been curious, there are now resources that will allow you to check out what does go on behind the scene with the hardworking men and women who make up the Disney cast members. We Are Disney is the name of the website and it was launched by … Continue reading →

Disney Studio Strike, Part 3

Banks continued to pressure Walt, and they suggested that the Studio should limit production to proven moneymakers like short cartoons. This was unthinkable to Walt, and such a course would mean nearly 600 people would have to be laid off. Walt knew that the cartoon industry as it was, couldn’t absorb all of those people, and they would be forced to start all over again. The banks said the other option was to sell out. This would not happen, Walt had fought too long and hard for his Studio’s independence. Walt chose the hard way. Strict budgets were set and … Continue reading →

Back to the Bargaining Table

Could an end to both the Broadway stagehands and the Writers Guild of America strikes be in sight? In just a few hours striking stagehands and Broadway producers are going back to the bargaining table, exactly one week after the work stoppage began and less than a week before the start of the lucrative Thanksgiving holiday weekend when most plays and musicals rake in millions of dollars. According to representatives from both sides, negotiations will resume this weekend “at an undisclosed place and time.” The good news even prompted New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg to weigh in about the move. … Continue reading →