Union

How does one negotiate with one of the most powerful companies in the world? This observational documentary about the rise of labour organisation within and around Amazon may hold some of the answers.

When Chris Smalls lost his job at Amazon after protesting the lack of protective COVID regulations, he formed the Amazon Labor Union, a grassroots initiative for former and current employees of the tech giant.

Union follows the ALU as they work towards a labour union for the employees of warehouse JFK8, Staten Island. It is no easy task, muddled by internal disagreements, union-skeptic employees, and direct pushback from Amazon itself.

As corporate entities grow ever more powerful, Union serves as a reminder of not only the power workers hold when they come together, but the necessity of co-operation to access it.

«(…) “Union” perseveres as a vital and urgent portrait of labor organizing and its enduring possibility at a time when the fight for workers’ rights has never seemed more one-sided.»

– David Ehrlich, IndieWire –

Labor Rights in the USA in 2024 // UNION 

After the screening of UNION on Thursday, 30.08.24, there will be a conversation between Liv Tørres from LO and Stig Arild Pettersen about workers' rights and trade unions.

The conversation will be in Norwegian. 

Director

Stephen Maing is an American documentary filmmaker, cinematographer and producer. He previously directed the Emmy-awarded Crime + Punishment (2018) and High Tech, Low Life (2012). Brett Story is a Canadian documentary filmmaler, writer and geographer. She previously directed the award-winning The Hottest August (2019) and The Prison in Twelve Landscapes (2016).