Mickey and the Teamsters

A behind-the-scenes look at the lives of Disney's character performers and their struggles for union democracy

Behind thecostumes, life isn't always magic and fairy dust for the people who play theiconic 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 ofTeamsters Local 385, the union that represents these performers. It spotlightsDonna-Lynne Dalton, a former cast member who stood up for other Disney performersagainst deep-rooted problems in the union that was supposed to protect them.

Journalist Mike Schneider, who covered the story as it unfolded, includesexclusive interviews with labor leaders and workers at the park, detailing how theunion prevented its members from leaving, severely mismanaged union business, andpromoted a culture of hostile leadership. Members of the Teamsters local feltthat they no longer had a voice, fearing devastating consequences if they spokeup. But Dalton brought the issues to investigators in an act of whistleblowingthat threatened her livelihood. In return, the local union fired Dalton andbegan harassing her and other union members who opposed its leaders. The storyescalates as Schneider describes protests by the Disney performers and theinterventions of James Hoffa, president of the International Brotherhood ofTeamsters.

Mickey and the Teamsters offers a behind-the-scenes look at some of the hidden strugglesthat surround Disney World, which employs the largest single-site workforce inthe United States. Through the efforts of Dalton and others to reform their unionand improve the lives of employees at the workplace they loved, Schneider showsthe importance of individual and collective action to hold unions accountableand preserve their potential to do good.