unions | THE LABOR FILM DATABASE

From the Shadows of Power

This awarding winning documentary is a powerful story set in coalfields of Appalachia, Wales and England. It documents firsthand the turmoil in the aftermath of the British Miners Strike of 1984/85 and the parallel struggle of the UMWA in its long running battle with Pittston Coal. This film brings to life the real struggles of working people at the pivotal moment when state power was used to open the floodgates to global capital, aid the destruction of coalfield communities and its labor institutions. Chronicling the critical role played by working class women in these watershed events, it features economist Helen Lewis, Reverend Jesse Jackson, women miners, Betty Heathfield of Britain’s Women Against Pit Closures, NUMs Arthur Scargill, and Labor Party leader Neil Kinnock.

Directed by: Jean Donohue

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2090505/

http://www.mwg.org

Leave a comment

Posted by andrew765 on June 28, 2014 in Class, Collective Bargaining, Documentary, Industrial/Mine/Manufacturing, Labor History, Manufacturing, Occupation/Type of Work, Organizing, Strikes-Strikebreaking-Lockouts, Themes, Women, Working Class

Tags: coal mining, Mining, unions, working conditions

Iraqi Workers After The War

28 Jun

For Iraqis the war the U.S. waged there continues with harsh effects, even though for most Americans that war is over and done with. This short video gives voice to Iraqi workers and union leaders – men and women – as they explain the repression they face, the efforts they are making to secure a new labor law that allows Iraqi workers to form unions, and their call for international labor solidarity. Basra in October 2012.

Directed by: Michael Zweig, Jonathan Levin

Leave a comment

Posted by andrew765 on June 28, 2014 in Collective Bargaining, Documentary, Global Economy, Legal System, Streaming Online (Youtube, Vimeo)

Tags: iraq, unions

Joe Hill’s Secret Canadian Hideout

25 Jun

Did Wobbly protest singer Joe Hill hide out at the Rossland Miners’ Union Hall back in 1912? Is the spirit of the’ Man Who Never Died’ alive and well in this old British Columbia mining town? Find out by seeing ‘Joe Hill’s Secret Canadian Hideout.’

Directed by: Ron Verzuh

Leave a comment

Posted by andrew765 on June 25, 2014 in Documentary, Labor History, Strikes-Strikebreaking-Lockouts, Working Class

Tags: organize, solidarity, unions, unite, worker's rights, workers

Under The Bus

23 Jun

Anthony has driven a school bus in Staten Island, New York for twenty-four years. His plans to retire suddenly grind to a halt when the Union (ATU 1181) goes on strike in response to a contract dispute with the City of New York. The film follows Anthony and his fellow drivers to the picket line, where they find themselves battling harsh winter weather, a media blackout, Union politics and a Mayor who refuses to negotiate.

Directed by: Peter Hass & Keif Roberts

http://underthebusfilm.blogspot.com/