Unions have been a crucial part of the American labor movement, fighting for fair wages, better working conditions, and workers’ rights. Throughout the years, the film industry has captured the struggles and triumphs of union members in their fight for justice. According to film buffs passionate about labor unions, these are the 12 best films about American unions.
1. The Irishman (2019)
In Martin Scorsese’s sweeping crime saga The Irishman, we see Frank Sheeran, a truck driver who becomes entangled with the powerful Bufalino crime family, leading to his purported involvement in the vanishing of Jimmy Hoffa, the infamous leader of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
2. Harlan County U.S.A. (1976)
This powerful documentary by Barbara Kopple follows a group of coal miners and their families in Harlan County, Kentucky, as they go on strike against the Eastover Mining Company for better working conditions and wages and depicts the violence and oppression they faced from the company and the government.
3. American Dream (1990)
This Academy Award-winning documentary directed by Barbara Koppledepicts the Hormel meatpacking strike in Austin, Minnesota, as workers fight against the company’s attempts to cut their wages and benefits, and explores the complex dynamics between the union leadership, the workers, and the community.
4. Norma Rae (1979)
Based on a true story, this acclaimed drama stars Sally Field as Norma Rae Webster, a textile worker who becomes involved in the labor union after seeing the dangerous working conditions and poor wages at her factory, and depicts the challenges she faces as a woman and a working-class activist.
5. Matewan (1987)
Set in 1920s West Virginia, this historical drama depicts a coal miners’ strike and the violent conflict between the miners and the Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency, hired by the mining company to suppress the strike. It explores the racial and ethnic tensions between the workers.
6. Blue Collar (1978)
Starring Richard Pryor, Harvey Keitel, and Yaphet Kotto, this gritty Paul Schrader-directed drama follows three Detroit auto workers who are tired of being mistreated by their company and union, leading them to plot a robbery that goes awry and depicts the intersection of race, class, and labor issues in America.
7. On the Waterfront (1954)
Directed by Elia Kazan and starring Marlon Brando, On the Waterfront explores themes of loyalty, betrayal, and redemption. It follows the story of Terry Malloy, a former boxer and dockworker who becomes involved in the corruption of the local longshoremen’s union and ultimately decides to testify against them.
8. Gung Ho (1986)
Directed by Ron Howard and starring Michael Keaton, this comedy-drama depicts the clash of cultures and ideologies when a group of Japanese executives takes over a struggling auto plant in Pennsylvania and the negotiations and compromises the workers and management have to make to save their jobs.
9. Hoffa (1992)
Directed by Danny DeVito and starring Jack Nicholson, this biographical film follows the life of Jimmy Hoffa, the controversial leader of the Teamsters Union who was involved in organized crime and disappeared under mysterious circumstances and depicts his rise to power and his complex relationships with politicians, mobsters, and his union members.
10. Salt of the Earth (1954)
Directed by Herbert J. Biberman and produced by blacklisted filmmakers, this independent film depicts a New Mexico mining strike by Mexican-American workers and the sexism and racism they faced from both their employer and the union and explores the themes of solidarity, feminism, and social justice.
11. Working Girls (1986)
Directed by Lizzie Borden and starring Louise Smith and Ellen McElduff, this independent film follows a day in the life of a group of sex workers at a Manhattan brothel, highlighting the struggles and power dynamics of their work and challenging the stereotypes and stigmatization of working-class women.
12. Convoy (1978)
Directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring Kris Kristofferson and Ali MacGraw, this action film follows a group of truck drivers who form a convoy to protest against the corrupt, oppressive actions of a small-town sheriff. It depicts the solidarity and defiance of the working class against authority.
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This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.