▁divor ced . ▁ ▁Cart oon ist ▁St rike ▁ ▁Despite ▁being ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁highest ▁paid ▁anim ators ▁at ▁Disney , ▁B abb itt ▁was ▁sympath etic ▁to ▁the ▁cause ▁of ▁lower ▁e ch el on ▁Disney ▁artists ▁seeking ▁to ▁form ▁a ▁union . ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁strik ers ▁were ▁in - between ers , ▁cel ▁pain ters , ▁and ▁other ▁less - well ▁paid ▁employees , ▁who ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 1 ▁began ▁industrial ▁action ▁in ▁purs uit ▁of ▁better ▁working ▁conditions . ▁As ▁a ▁top ▁anim ator , ▁B abb itt ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁relatively ▁few ▁well - pa id ▁artists ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁strike , ▁and ▁he ▁became ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁strike ▁leaders . ▁One ▁morning , ▁as ▁Disney ▁drove ▁through ▁pick eting ▁workers ▁on ▁his ▁way ▁to ▁the ▁studio , ▁B abb itt ▁he ck led ▁him ▁through ▁a ▁b ull horn . ▁Disney ▁ex ited ▁his ▁car ▁to ▁confront ▁him , ▁and ▁a ▁f ist f ight ▁was ▁only ▁prevent ed ▁by ▁the ▁inter vention ▁of ▁others . ▁ ▁For ▁his ▁part ▁in ▁the ▁strike , ▁B abb itt ▁earned ▁W alt ▁Disney ' s ▁en m ity . ▁Disney ▁was ▁forced ▁to ▁re - hire ▁B abb itt ▁after ▁the ▁strike ▁was ▁over , ▁along ▁with ▁many ▁other ▁strik ers , ▁but ▁by ▁then ▁the ▁two ▁men ▁h ated ▁one ▁another . ▁B abb itt ▁worked ▁with ▁director ▁Jack ▁Kin ney , ▁another ▁" Go of y ▁man " ▁( mean ing ▁that ▁they ▁worked