Category Archives: Labor

Dumbo! During Labor Unrest!

Posted on October 26, 2016 by Art Babbitt

                      This week marks the 75th birthday of one of my favorite films of all time, Dumbo (1941).  Amazing, right?  Watch it today and it feels as timeless as ever.  … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941: The Disney Strike, Dumbo, Labor | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Feature Films and Screen Credits

Posted on June 21, 2013 by Art Babbitt

Last fall and winter, I had the pleasure of helping out the storyboard department on the feature film Epic for Blue Sky Studios.  I was only on the project for a few months, but it was the first mainstream feature … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941: The Disney Strike, Animation, Disney, Labor, Pinocchio | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Philadelphia Teachers’ Strike

Posted on June 7, 2013 by Art Babbitt

Why I’m interested in labor issues:  Both my parents were arrested.  Read about it in my newly published article for the Philadelphia Daily News. http://www.philly.com/philly/business/labor_and_unions/20130606_Looking_back__The__73_teachers__strike.html

Posted in Labor | Tagged | Leave a comment

Disney on Unfair List

Posted on June 5, 2013 by Art Babbitt

On this date in Disney history, the Walt Disney Studios was spotlighted for the U.S. government’s list of companies with Unfair Labor Practices (ULP).  As the Daily Worker trumpets, “Los Angeles Labor Council Places Products of Disney Firm on Unfair … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941: The Disney Strike, Disney, Illustration, Labor, Mickey Mouse | Tagged , | Leave a comment

The Disney Strike Remembered: Cult of Personality

Posted on May 29, 2013 by Art Babbitt

It was 72 years ago today that a picket line formed outside the Disney Studios in Burbank, and hundreds of artist went out on strike.  It was Day One of what would ultimately be the largest (and most dramatic) strike … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941: The Disney Strike, Disney, Labor, New York | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Technicolor sides with Strikers

Posted on May 18, 2013 by Art Babbitt

Here’s an interesting handbill.  Dated July 11 (1941), it advertises the support of the color film processors’ union for the Disney strikers. Caricatured below is Walt, hiding behind Willie Bioff.  The company hired Bioff to represent the company during arbitration … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941: The Disney Strike, Disney, Labor, mafia, politics | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Margaret Thatcher and Labo(u)r Strikes

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Art Babbitt

Yesterday’s news that Margaret Thatcher passed away left me with recollections of the musical “Billy Elliot.”  Did you manage to catch this show while it was on Broadway?  Its backdrop is the tumultuous UK coal miners’ strike in the 1980s, … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941: The Disney Strike, Disney, Labor, miscellaneous | Tagged , | Leave a comment

SAG and the Disney Strike – June 1941

Posted on March 19, 2013 by Art Babbitt

In the early days of the Disney strike, (probably within two days of the first picket,) chairman of the Screen Cartoonists Guild Art Babbitt, with Disney striker John McLeish, contacted the Screen Actors Guild and petitioned the SAG executive board … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941: The Disney Strike, Disney, Hollywood, Labor | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Donald Duck says Disney is Unfair

Posted on February 26, 2013 by Art Babbitt

You’ve got to admit, the Disney strikers of ’41 knew how to design a flyer.

Posted in 1941: The Disney Strike, Disney, Illustration, Labor | Tagged | Leave a comment

Happy Anniversary Disney Union and Occupy Movement

Posted on October 1, 2012 by Art Babbitt

Just about a week ago, we had 2 labor milestones: The one-year anniverary of the Occupy Movement (starting in Wall Street, New York) and the completion of the 70th full year of Disney’s company union (on Sept 21). Ok, it’s … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941: The Disney Strike, Animation, California, Disney, FDR, Film, Labor, miscellaneous, OWS, politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment