Mickey and the Teamsters is a fascinating look at the labour politics behind Disney World’s costumed character performers (the actors playing Mickey, Cinderella, and Goofy) who joined the Teamsters Local 385 union in Orlando, Florida.
The Teamsters are a powerful coalition representing blue-collar workers. The performers chose them because they needed aggressive backing to negotiate with Disney’s corporate management for improved wages, benefits, and workplace safety rules.
A lot has been written about Walt Disney’s tough treatment of unions and their members. In stark contrast to its carefully constructed public image, Disney World was far from the ‘Happiest Place on Earth,’ for workers. It is a world hidden from public by the carefully managed corporate Disney brand. Schneider reveals the everyday realities of low wages, unacceptable working conditions, and organizational politics that ground down workers. The clash between corporate Disney management, the union, and its members is laid bare.
When costumed performers were fired for refusing to wear soiled, sweat-soaked outfits, union representative Donna-Lynne Dalton took their fight to the bargaining table with Disney. The union successfully fought for their reinstatement.
The conflict later became a fight against the leadership of Local 385, which had grown hostile and authoritarian. Mike details how the leadership severely mismanaged union business and finances, actively suppressed democratic processes, and prevented members from having a real voice.
Schneider illustrates the contradictions that can happen within working-class organizations, demonstrating what happens when union leadership corruption affects the interests of its members. Democratic accountability is essential for unions, which require active member participation, transparent elections, and accountable leadership. When these principles are weakened, members can end up fighting their own representatives, as much as the employer.
As well as being revealing about Disney, ‘Micky and the Teamsters’ advocates for greater internal democracy and maximum financial transparency within unions. This reflects debates in Marxist and socialist traditions concerning workers’ control, union democracy, and the dangers of violating union rules.
Schneider provides a history of the unionization at Walt Disney World, explaining the unique challenges of organizing workers in the entertainment industry. The long conflict is reconstructed through interviews, first-hand reports, and documents, making this a compelling narrative of an important labour dispute.
Overall the book is an insightful history of organized labour and members’ conflicts, reaffirming the importance of democratic unions for improving workers’ conditions. It will appeal to readers interested in trade unions, workplace democracy, and the complexities of organizing workers within large multinational corporations. Readers will find it an informative case study of how democratic institutions function – or fail – within organized labour.
Ratings: 4.5 out of 5 red stars.
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