Behind the
costumes, life isn't always magic and fairy dust for the people who play the
iconic characters of Mickey Mouse, Goofy, and Cinderella at Walt Disney World.
In a surprising tale of corruption alongside activism,
Mickey and the Teamsters reveals the little-known story of
Teamsters Local 385, the union that represents these performers. It spotlights
Donna-Lynne Dalton, a former cast member who stood up for other Disney performers
against deep-rooted problems in the union that was supposed to protect them.
Journalist Mike Schneider, who covered the story as it unfolded, includes
exclusive interviews with labor leaders and workers at the park, detailing how the
union prevented its members from leaving, severely mismanaged union business, and
promoted a culture of hostile leadership. Members of the Teamsters local felt
that they no longer had a voice, fearing devastating consequences if they spoke
up. But Dalton brought the issues to investigators in an act of whistleblowing
that threatened her livelihood. In return, the local union fired Dalton and
began harassing her and other union members who opposed its leaders. The story
escalates as Schneider describes protests by the Disney performers and the
interventions of James Hoffa, president of the International Brotherhood of
Teamsters.
Mickey and the Teamsters offers a behind-the-scenes look at some of the hidden struggles
that surround Disney World, which employs the largest single-site workforce in
the United States. Through the efforts of Dalton and others to reform their union
and improve the lives of employees at the workplace they loved, Schneider shows
the importance of individual and collective action to hold unions accountable
and preserve their potential to do good.
