The Political Psychology Behind the '84 Disneyland Strike [Alt-Disney]
Updated: Aug 12, 2020
Disneyland’s greatest labor dispute 35 years ago this month seemed to be about dollars and cents. Union workers demanded better pay and no cuts to benefits when they walked off the job. The Mouse House, in turn, insisted on a two-year pay freeze and an end to health-care benefits for part-time workers. But the “Friendliest Strike on Earth” went deeper than just the competing calculations of stalled contract negotiations.
To workers, it became a struggle over the soul of Walt Disney’s legacy, one that imperiled the tight-knit “family” of all involved in keeping it alive.
Read more on my latest OC Weekly Alt-Disney Column out on newsstands now:
https://ocweekly.com/the-political-psychology-behind-the-84-disneyland-strike-alt-disney/