1:39; U.S.
Synopsis: Newsreel footage on the 1934 longshore general strike in San Francisco which helped to birth the International Longshore and Warehouse Workers Union (ILWU).
Category Archives: Documentary
Strikebreaking During the Depression (1934)
5:06; U.S.
Director: March of Time newsreel
Synopsis: Newsreel footage about Pearl Berghoff, the owner of the Berghoff Agency which was one of the premier strike-breaking companies through the 1930s. The newsreel both gives an overview of Berghoff, and looks specifically at his company’s involvement in strikes in Georgia in 1934.
The Brotherhood of Man (1946)
10:36; U.S.
Director: Robert Cannon
Synopsis: An animated short film sponsored by the United Autoworkers which breaks down various racist ideas of difference among peoples. In some ways the presentation will seem awkward to a modern audience, but considering when it was made and the intended audience (rank-and-file white workers), it is an impressive document.
Working at Ford in the 1920s (Parts 1 & 2)
In the 1920s, Ford Motor Co. was considered the leader in manufacturing technology and practices. Elements of Taylor’s scientific management were combined with what economists now call “efficiency wages” (wages well above the general market – the famous $5 day). In this video, workers and others of that era reflect on working at Ford. Some are positive; others not.
License to Pimp (still in production)
U.S.
Director: Hima B
Synopsis: License to Pimp is a feature documentary about the choices that three San Francisco strippers make as their workplaces engage in illegal labor practices. Strip clubs refuse to pay strippers even minimum wages & actually charge them for the privilege to work. I worked in half of San Francisco’s strip clubs during the 1990s and witnessed how co-workers felt economically pressured to engage in prostitution to make their quotas to avoid being fired. Now as a filmmaker, I uncover current working conditions & try to find out how strip clubs are able to operate outside the law.
Contact: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/himab/license-to-pimp-documentary
Builders and The Games (2012)
57m; U.K.
Director: Margaret Dickinson
Synopsis: “Builders and The Games is a 57 minute feature documentary about construction workers and the building of the 2012 Olympic Park in Stratford, London. Shot between 2007 and 2012, it looks at how far the Olympic Site set an example to the construction industry and compares outcomes with early promises about safety, training, jobs and recruitment.”
Contact: http://constructionandthegames.com/
Trailer
The Spirit Level (still in production)
Director: Katharine Round
Synopsis: Based on the best-selling book The Spirit Level, this film shows why a more equal society is better for all of us, including the rich. Yet still this gap is at its highest level for 30 years. It’s time for action, and a documentary is the most powerful way we can raise awareness and mobilise people.
Contact: http://thespiritleveldocumentary.com/
Trailer
THE LABOR FILM DATABASE 