Videos

Media Services Holdings at Hofstra University:
On Work, Workers, and Related Issues

This is a selective catalogue of DVDs and videotapes in Hofstra University's permanent Media Services collection on a wide array of labor-related topics. In brackets is the video's reference number to be used when renting, followed by the approximate running time, the release year, and a brief summary. A useful source for comprehensive listings and summaries of labor films is: Tom Zaniello, Working Stiffs, Union Maids, Reds and Riffraf: An Expanded Guide to Films about Labor. [Cornell U. Press, 2003]

Labor History

"A History of Work" [V-5641; 53 mins.; 2001] Multiple dimensions of work around the world are explored, from earliest agrarian societies through the present globalized economy. Anthropologist Herbert Applebaum and other experts discuss the evolution of work and of economic inequality in both the advanced and developing nations. Part of the series: "The Evolution of Society."

"Organizing America: The History of Trade Unions" [V-5647; 38 mins.; 2001] - fascinating documentary footage is blended with recent interviews of historians, government officials, union leaders, and grassroots activists to explore major turning points in union history. Spans the period from the 18th century to the present.

African Americans

"At the River I Stand," [VHS; 59 mins, 1993] At the time of his 1968 assassination, Martin Luther King was in Memphis to support an historic strike by low-wage African American workers. This moving documentary is a vivid exploration of the Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike.

"Miles of Smiles, Years of Struggle" [V-3746; 58 mins.; 1983] - formation of first black union, Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, and its contributions to U.S. civil rights movement. Account of black labor between Civil War and WWII.

"10,000 Black Men Names George" [VHS; 112 mins.; 2002] -- Docudrama of the life of legendary civil rights leader A. Philip Randolph and his successful campaign to organize black railroad porters in 1925-37. Directed by Robert Townsend and starring Andre Braugher, Charles Dutton and Mario Van Peebles.

Child Labor

"Newsies" [VHS; 1992, 125 min.] The 1899 newspaper boys' strike in New York City against Joseph Pulitzer (played by Robert Duvall) is core of this Disney musical. Manhattan alone had over 3,000 newsboys at the time, and their numbers and militancy were aided by an ongoing strike wave. Gov. Teddy Roosevelt intervened on the newsies' side, just as they were launching a "child labor" protest campaign.

Dockworkers

"On the Waterfront" [V-812 video & VD-669 DVD; 108 mins.; 1954] -- Marlon Brando's famous portrayal of a longshoreman in the bustling NYC port who "coulda been a contenduh," but instead must contend with corrupt union leaders.

Factory Workers & Miners

"Brassed Off" (VD-994; 103 mins.; 1996) -- Big energy threatens to move in and disrupt life in the small English mining town of Grimley, but its brass band conductor refuses to hang up his baton. Recognizing Grimley's last chance to shine, Danny (Pete Postlethwaite) prepares his band for their last chance at national competition. Gloria (Tara Fitzgerald) is torn between her management role in the mine's closure, affection for Andy (Ewan McGregor), and her hopes for the band she joins.

"Clockwork" [V-1998; 25 mins.; 1982] - the "scientific management" methods of Frederick Taylor.

"Harlan County, USA" [V-4099; 90 mins., 1975] - Academy Award Winner for Best Documentary, this Barbara Kopple film shows the dramatic 1973 coal miners strike against Kentucky's Duke Power Co.

"How Green Was My Valley" [VL-42; 118 mins.; 1941] Welsh miners and their community are depicted in this John Ford classic, winner of 5 Academy Awards.

"Life & Times of Rosie the Riveter" [V-246; 65 mins.; 1980] - 5 women look back on their industrial jobs during World War II.

"Matewan" [V-718; 100 min.; 1987] -- feature film on 1920s union-management clash in West Virginia coal fields, by director John Sayles.

"Norma Rae" [VD-157; 118 mins.; 1979] Sally Field won a Best Actress Oscar in this stirring story of a poor Southern factory worker who overturns her life to become a union organizer in the fiercely anti-union textile mills.

"Out of the Depths: The Miners' Story" [V-1692; 55 mins.; 1988] - the 1913 miners' strike and the Ludlow massacre.

"The Proud Valley" [VHS; 79 mins.; 1941] - legendary American actor/singer Paul Robeson stars as a black stoker seeking work in a Welsh coal-mining town.

"The River Ran Red" [V-2651; 58 mins.; 1993] -- documentary of bitter 1892 dispute in Homestead, PA between Carnegie Steel and militant union workers.

"Salt of the Earth" [V-472; 94 mins.; 1954] - classic dramatization of successful 13- month New Mexico mining strike in which wives joined husbands on picket lines. Most of the roles were played by the miners and their families. Filmed at the height of the 1950s McCarthyite blacklist, the film was long barred from distribution and its leading actress (Mexican star Rosaura Revueltas) deported. Director Herbert Biberman was imprisoned for his refusal to cooperate with the House UnAmerican Activities Committee.

"Sins of Our Mothers" [V-2266; 60 mins.; 1988] - 19th Century factory work of young women.

"The Wobblies" [V-3027; 89 mins.; 1979] - historical material and interviews with surviving Wobblies trace the path of this unskilled laborers movement in the period up to WWI. Directed by Hofstra Prof. Stewart Bird.

"Working Lives" [V-2071; 20 mins.; 1992] - changing work methods and conditions in Britain during the Industrial Revolution and workers' responses.

Farm Workers

"The Gleaners and I" (VD-996; 82 mins.; 2000) - Celebrated French Director Agnes Varda's documentary about scavengers and recyclers is a surprising, often moving account of her travels with just a hand-held digital camera in search of the modern equivalent of Millet's grain field gleaners. Inspired by Jean-François Millet's famous painting "Les Glaneuses," she finds her quarry at dumpsters, outdoor markets and roadsides across France's villages and countrside.

"Harvest of Shame" [V-3328; 55 mins.; 1960] - influential CBS report (by Edward R. Murrow) documenting plight of migrant farm workers in U.S.

Health and Safety Issues

"Silkwood" [V-5872; 134 mins.; 1983] Meryl Streep and Cher star in this portrayal of the true story of Karen Silkwood, a young union activist working in a dangerous plutonium processing plant. Silkwood died at 28 under mysterious circumstances while bringing evidence of safety violations to a NY Times reporter. Her death helped speed passage of the landmark federal OSHA law. Directed by Mike Nichols.

"Those Who Know Don't Tell" [V-1820; 29 mins.; 1990] - history of campaign against occupational hazards, from the NYC Triangle fire to the computer age. Narrated by Studs Terkel.

Immigration

"Americas: Latin Americans & Caribbeans in the US" [V-2203; 60 mins.; 1993] - recent immigration from Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean.

"The Border" [VD-1002; 109 mins; 1982] -- Jack Nicholson plays a US border patrol agent in El Paso who is plagued by a guilty conscience he goes on the take and helps to smuggle aliens across the border.

"Bread and Chocolate" [VD-238 & VD-260; 110 mins; 1978] A comic but poignant portrait of an Italian immigrant working odd jobs in prosperous Switzerland and trying desperately to fit in. Though his work becomes increasingly degrading, he tenaciously refuses to give up and go home. This hapless Everyman is eternally rejected yet ever-hopeful.

"Bread and Roses" [VD-11; 110 mins.; 2001] - British Director Ken Loach's dramatization of the 1990s "Justice for Janitors" campaign to organize largely undocumented office cleaners in Los Angeles. Starring Academy Award winner Adrian Brody, Pilar Padilla and Elpidia Carrillo.

"Coming Across" [V-1628; 45 mins.; 1991] - history of immigration to US.

"Dreams of Distant Shores" [VO-313; 30 mins.; 1985] - history of immigration to US.

"Farmingville" [VD-436; 78 mins.; 2004] Documentary film about the next group of immigrants, the Mexicans, that are following in our long history of immigration. It looks at the people of Farmingville, New York, and at how they are dealing with the influx of about 1,500 Mexican workers. Awarded 2004 Special Jury Prize, Sundance Film Festival DVD.

"Go Back to Mexico" [V-2821; 57 mins.; 1994] - PBS Frontline documentary on growing public opposition to undocumented immigration to California.

"Immigration Reform" [V-75; 60 mins.; 1984] - legal rights of aliens.

"Inside the Global Economy: Labor & Capital Mobility" [V-2682; 60 mins; 1994] - Program 5 covers guest workers in Netherlands, Mexican migrants in U.S., and Maquiladora program of factories along Mexico's northern border.

"A Migrant's Heart" [V-3381; 27 mins.; 1996] - PART 8 of series "Human Geography: People, Places, & Change," this follows return from England to India (via East Africa) of an actor and ethnic identity problems he experiences.

Income Inequality

"The Big One" (VD-995; 90 mins., 1998) - Michael Moore followed up his surprise hit "Roger and Me" with this, by turns comic and caustic, documentary of his travels in the American heartland in search of corporate executives (like Nike's CEO Phil Knight) to question about their relentless downsizing of U.S. factories and outsourcing to Latin America and Asia.

"Income, Inequality and the Working Class Majority" [10/22/04] - Bill Moyer's PBS program NOW interviews both working people experiencing "downward mobility" and economist Michael Zweig, author of The Working Clas Majority: America's Best-Kept Secret. He explains why, contrary to popular opinion, over 60% of Americans are actually members of the working class, losing more and more income and work autonomy to corporate interests. And he argues that even doctors and professors may be losing control of their workday to HMOs and university administrations.

International Labor Issues

"Africa" [V-5222 to V-5226; 2001] - 8-part PBS series of hour-long National Geographic documentaries on wide variety of working lives in 8 regions of modern Africa: Vol. 1. "Savanna homecoming;" "Desert odyssey" (episodes 1-2) -- v. 2. "Voices of the forest ;" "Mountains of faith" (episodes 3-4) -- v. 3. "Love in the Sahel;" "Restless waters" (episodes 5-6) -- v. 4. "Leopards of Zanzibar;" "Southern treasures" (episodes 7-8) -- v. 5. "The making of Africa."

"Africa" [V-1616 through V-1619; 53 mins. each; 1985] -- Scholar Basil Davidson's 8-part series on the history, economics and politics of the continent. v.1. "Different but equal" -- v.2. "Mastering a continent" - v.3. "Caravans of gold" -- v.4. "Kings and cities" -- v.5. "The Bible and the gun" - v.6. "This magnificent African cake" -- v.7. "The rise of nationalism" -- v.8. "The legacy."

"The Debt Crisis" [V-5510; 20 mins.; 1988] - How did one of the most urbanized, mineral-rich nations in Africa fallen into economic crisis and heavy indebtedness to Western banks? Zambia struggles to reverse its declining living standards while confronting IMF demands for sharper cuts in education, health care and public employment.

"Delta Force" [V-4820; 56 mins.; 1995]- documentary of Nigerian popular protest movement against exploitation and pollution of Ogoni peoples' lands by US & European oil companies, and the brutal suppression of the movement and its leader, famed writer Ken Sara-Wiwa.

"Diamonds and Rust" [V-5494; 74 mins.; 2001] -- A revealing documentary of the tense and dangerous round-the-clock efforts of a multinational crew mining diamonds from a trawler off the coast of Namibia. Racist attitudes, a deteriorating vessel and front office indifference make for an absorbing expose of diamond giant DeBeers global operations.

"Free Trade Slaves" [V-4242; 58 mins.; 1999] - Filmed on location in El Salvador, Mexico, Morocco, and Sri Lanka, this film discusses human rights abuses, labor exploitation, and environmental degradation in so-called "free trade zones."

"Generations of Resistance" [V-5512; 52 mins.; 1979] -- Archival photographs, newsreel footage, and interviews to chronicle the quest by Black South Africans for economic viability and individual freedom.

"The Global Assembly Line" [V-333; 58 mins.; 1986] - the export of work to "free trade zones" in less-developed nations by U.S. multinationals.

"Global Village or Global Pillage" [V-5492; 27 mins.; 1999] - Inside look at the globalization battles between the IMF and multinational firms demanding new rules of global trade and their challengers in labor & environmental organizations.

"High Hopes" [V-6181; 110 mins.; 1989] - Famed British director Mike Leigh's entertaining film offers a knowing satire of working class life in Thatcherite Britain.

"Human Resources" [DVD VD-712; 103 mins.,1999] Dramatic tale of idealistic young French human resource trainee faced with labor unrest by former classmates in his factory home town. By acclaimed director Lauren Contet. English subtitles.

"Inside the Global Economy: the Evolving World Economy" [V-2690; 60 mins.; 1994] -- Program 13 explores importance of human capital and trade competitiveness through case studies of U.S. software firms and East Asian economies.

"Life and Debt" [VD-274; 86 mins.; 2003] Jamaica became an independent country from Great Britain in 1962. It is the land of sea, sand and sun ... but it is also a prime example of the complexities of economic globalization on the world's developing countries. Effectively portrays the relationship between Jamaican poverty and the practices of international lending agencies while driving home the devasting consequences of globalization. Interviews with Michael Manley, Stanley Fisher, Jean-Bertrand Aristide.Based on "A small place" by Jamaica Kincaid, the film's narrator.

"Lifetime Employment" [V-405; 28 mins.; 1982] - Japan's employment and management practices aimed at raising labor productivity.

"Mardi Gras Made in China" [VD-816; 62 mins.; 2004] - Documentary on how trinkets used in New Orleans annual Mardi Gras celebrations are made under harsh conditions by young workers in China.

"Passing the Message" [V-5511; 52 mins.; 1981] Three black union activists in apartheid-era South Africa struggle to organize trade unions for the black majority and confront hostile government policies.

"Saturday Night and Sunday Morning" [VD-153; 89 mins.; 1960] Director Karel Reisz's cast Albert Finney as a rambunctious but frustrated factory worker in this highly acclaimed drama (winner "Best British Film of Year") of working class life in 1950s Britain.

"Something to Hide" [V-4880; 28 mins.; 1999] Expose of giant American clothing retailers' reliance on abusive Central American sweatshops to produce Wal-Mart and other store brands. Charles Kernaghan (Diretor, National Labor Committee) and a delegation of U.S. college students interview young workers and look inside a prison-like factory.

Job and Wage Discrimination

"Affirmative Action vs. Reverse Discrimination" [V-76; 60 mins.; 1984] - explores arguments that affirmative action policy leads to reverse discrimination.

"Age Discrimination" [V-2162; 25 mins.; 1989] - legal experts on age-related lawsuits.

"At the River I Stand," [V-5875; 59 mins, 1994] -- At the time of his 1968 assassination, Martin Luther King was in Memphis to support an historic strike by low-wage African American workers. This moving documentary is a vivid exploration of the Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike.

"Double Burden: 3 Generations of Working Mothers" [V-2815; 55 mins.; 1992] - lives of 3 generations of working mothers of different ethnic and racial groups.

"Eyes on the Prize: Keys to the Kingdom" [V-1131; 60 mins.; 1989] - episode of multi- part series that focuses on anti-discrimination efforts in education and jobs.

"In the Land of Jim Crow: Segregation" [V-1737; 30 mins.; 1990] - firsthand accounts by well-known Americans of racial segregation in U.S..

"Race and Sex Discrimination in the Workplace" [V-2157; 20 mins.; 1990] -- visits a "model fair employment firm."

"The Second American Revolution" [V-28; 120 mins; 1982] - 2-part Bill Moyers special surveying the drive for racial equality in 20th century U.S.

"Sexual Harassment from 9 to 5" [V-2185; 30 mins.; 1990] - Depicts the legal and human side of sexual harassment in the workplace, portraying women deeply affected by this often hidden form of discrimination. Shows the rights and responsibilities of women employees, their male coworkers, and the companies that employ them, and some corporate efforts to help employees distinguish between romance and illegal harassment.

"She's Nobody's Baby: History of American Women" [E-203; 55 min; 1982] - Alan Alda & Marlo Thomas narrate overview of historic changes for working women in the U.S.

"Willmar 8" [E-207; 55 mins.; 1980] - women protesting sex discrimination organize first bank employee strike in Minnesota history.

"Women and Affirmative Action" [V-3644; 60 mins.; 1996] - C-SPAN debate among prominent female supporters (Barbara Bergmann & Betty Friedan) and opponents of affirmative action.

"The Wrong Idea" [V-1727; 20 mins.; 1991] - sexual harassment in the workplace.

Low-Wage Jobs

"Bread and Roses" [VD-11; 110 mins.; 2001] - British Director Ken Loach's dramatization of the 1990s "Justice for Janitors" campaign to organize largely undocumented office cleaners in Los Angeles. Starring Academy Award winner Adrian Brody, Pilar Padilla and Elpidia Carrillo.

"Clockwatchers" [VD-1008; 96 mins.; 1997] -- Toni Collette, Lisa Kudrow, and Parker Posey portray temps at Global Credit, a faceless megacorporation. Their camaraderie falls apart, however, when another woman lands a choice assignment, things begin to vanish from the workplace, and mistrust and paranoia challenge their relationship.

"Eyes on the Fries: Young Workers in the Service Economy" [V-5992; 21 mins., 2004] Low wages, erratic schedules, no health care, work-school conflicts--this film looks beyond the stereotypes of carefree and undeserving youth to uncover a reality that millions of young working people know all too well: no matter how hard you work and how well you do in school, it can be difficult to stay afloat when you're coming of age in a "McJob" economy. But there are ways to improve things - and young people are taking the lead. Featuring: Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation, Julianne Malveaux, economist, Stuart Tannock, UC Berkeley sociologist, and Bill Fletcher, union activist. Awarded Grand Festival Award, Berkeley Film Festival.

"Fast Food Women" [V-3397; 29 mins.; 1991] - wages and working conditions of middle-aged women trying to support their families with jobs in Kentucky fast food restaurants.

"Minimum Wages" [V-3150; 58 mins.; 1994] - documents how global economic changes and shortage of good-paying jobs have altered lives of Milwaukee working class families.

"Norma Rae" [VD-157; 118 mins.; 1979] Sally Field won a Best Actress Oscar in this stirring story of a poor Southern factory worker who overturns her life to become a union organizer in the fiercely anti-union textile mills.

"Off The Clock" [25 mins.; 11/08/02] - Do Wal-Mart's low prices and high profits come at the expense of low-paid Wal-Mart workers? NY Times reporter Steven Greenhouse investigates charges by Former managers and employees charge the world's biggest retailer with regularly forcing unpaid overtime work and harassing pro-union workers. A segment of the PBS-TV program NOW.

"On the Waterfront" [V-812 video & VD 669 DVD; 108 mins.; 1954] -- Marlon Brando's famous portrayal of a longshoreman in the bustling NYC port who "coulda been a contenduh," but instead must contend with corrupt union leaders. Won "Best Picture of the Year" Oscar.

"Prison Labor, Prison Blues" [V-3639; 29 mins.; 1994] - Pros and cons of using prison labor for private enterprise under privatized penal system. Episode of "We Do the Work" TV series.

Media

"Class Dismissed: How TV Frames the Working Class" [VD-993; 62 mins.; 2006] Narrated by Ed Asner, this explores how American TV has long presented one-dimensional depictions of working class people as either clowns or social deviants, contributing to public acceptance of anti-worker policies. Working class representations are examined from the 1950s to today's sitcoms, reality shows, police dramas, and daytime talk shows. Featuring interviews with media analysts and cultural historians including: Stanley Aronowitz, (CUNY); Nickel and Dimed author, Barbara Ehrenreich; Robin Kelley (Columbia University); Pepi Leistyna (U Mass -Boston) and Michael Zweig (SUNY-Stony Brook).

Skills and Training

"America Works when America Works" [V-1; 80 mins.; 1980] - NBC report on U.S. labor's position in competitive global economy.

"At Work in the New Economy" [V-513; 30 mins.; 1987] - rising job insecurity in a period of shifting skill needs and career choices.

"60 Minutes: The Economy, Stupid" [V-2190; 15 mins.; 1993] - "60 Minutes" segment on US labor skill training compared to Germany's.

"Tough Times: Making the Most of Your Job" [V-2249; 25 mins.; 1993] - expanded roles of communication skills and need for flexible career training.

"Women of Summer" [V-499; 55 mins.; 1986] - 1921-38 educational experiment run by coalition of educators, feminists, and unions.

Unemployment and Job Search

"The Big One" (VD-995; 90 mins., 1998) - Michael Moore followed up his surprise hit "Roger and Me" with this, by turns comic and caustic, documentary of his travels in the American heartland in search of corporate executives (like Nike's CEO Phil Knight) to question about their relentless downsizing of U.S. factories and outsourcing to Latin America and Asia.

"The Business of America" [D-200; 45 mins.; 1983] - steel workers and their community face the shutdown of U.S. Steel's Homestead, PA factory.

"Fired" [V-223; 30 mins.; 1983] - job loss among executives and the outplacement process.

"Jobs: A Way Out" [V-3642; 57 mins.; 1996] - explores the premise that chronic unemployment and poverty are linked to violence in U.S. Vistits 4 diverse communities trying to reduce violence through various jobs programs.

"Take This Job and Love It" [V-2242; 30 mins.; 1993] - advice on successful job interviewing.

"Tough Times: Finding the Jobs" [V-2248; 25 mins.; 1993] - job search in an age of rapid technological change and global competition.

"The Winning Job Interview" [V-421; 60 mins.; 1983] - case studies, interviews, and tips from career development experts.

Unions, Negotiations and Strikes

Organizing Unions

"Bread and Roses" [VD-11; 110 mins.; 2001] - British Director Ken Loach's dramatization of the 1990s "Justice for Janitors" campaign to organize largely undocumented office cleaners in Los Angeles. Starring Academy Award winner Adrian Brody, Pilar Padilla and Elpidia Carrillo.

"Harlan County, USA" [V-4099; 90 mins., 1975] - Academy Award Winner for Best Documentary, this Barbara Kopple film shows the dramatic 1973 coal miners strike against Kentucky's Duke Power Co.

"Human Resources" [DVD VD-712; 103 mins.,1999] Dramatic tale of idealistic young French human resource trainee faced with labor unrest by former classmates in his factory home town. By acclaimed director Lauren Contet. English subtitles.

"Live Nude Girls Unite!" [DVD VD-1010; 70 mins.; 2001] Provocative documentary of San Francisco exotic dancers who decided to unionize to gain better wages and benefits and to protect themselves against secret customer videotapes. It follows the surprising saga at the Lusty Lounge as management hires a union-busting law firm in response to the dancers' organizing and bargaining.

"Matewan" [V-718; 100 min.; 1987] -- dramatic feature film on 1920s union- management clash in West Virginia coal fields, by director John Sayles.

"Norma Rae" [VD-157; 118 mins.; 1979] -- Sally Field won a Best Actress Oscar in this stirring story of a poor Southern factory worker who overturns her life to become a union organizer in the fiercely anti-union textile mills.

"On the Waterfront" [V-812 video & VD 669 DVD; 108 mins.; 1954] -- Marlon Brando's famous portrayal of a longshoreman in the bustling NYC port who "coulda been a contenduh," but instead must contend with corrupt union leaders. Won Best Picture of the Year Oscar.

"One Day Longer: The Story of the Frontier Strike," [VHS; 51 mins.; 1999] -- One of the longest strikes in American history (1988-1994) pitted the union- busting owners of a big Las Vegas casino against the ultimately successful Hotel Employees & Restaurant Employees Union (HERE). A fine balance between documentary and agitprop, hailed as "an inspiring film filled with images of union solidarity as well as difficult picket duty. It is also a tribute to a multicultural workforce that marched as many as 10,000 strong during the strike." [T. Zaniello]

"Organizing America: The History of Trade Unions" [V-5647; 38 mins.; 2001] - fascinating documentary footage is blended with recent interviews of historians, government officials, union leaders, and grassroots activists to explore major turning points in union history. Spans the period from the 18th century to the present.

"Out of the Depths: The Miners' Story" [V-1692; 55 mins.; 1988] - the 1913 miners' strike and the Ludlow massacre.

"Passing the Message" [V-5511; 52 mins.; 1981] Three black union activists in apartheid-era South Africa struggle to organize trade unions for the black majority and confront hostile government policies.

"The River Ran Red" [V-2651; 58 mins.; 1993] -- documentary of bitter 1892 dispute in Homestead, PA between Carnegie Steel and militant union workers.

"Salt of the Earth" [V-472; 94 mins.; 1954] - classic dramatization of successful 13- month New Mexico mining strike in which wives joined husbands on picket lines. Most of the roles were played by the miners and their families. Filmed at the height of the 1950s McCarthyite blacklist, the film was long barred from distribution and its leading actress (Mexican star Rosaura Revueltas) deported. Director Herbert Biberman was imprisoned for his refusal to cooperate with the House UnAmerican Activities Committee.

"Watsonville on Strike" [V-1021; 65 mins.; 1989] - 18-month cannery workers' strike led by women and undocumented immigrants.

"The Wobblies" [V-3027; 89 mins.; 1979] - historical material and interviews with surviving Wobblies trace the path of this unskilled laborers movement in the period up to WWI. Directed by Hofstra Prof. Stewart Bird.

Collective Bargaining & Strikes

"At the River I Stand," [VHS; 59 mins, 1994] -- At the time of his 1968 assassination, Martin Luther King was in Memphis to support an historic strike by low-wage African American workers. This moving documentary is a vivid exploration of the Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike.

"Collision Course" [V-1999; 47 mins.; 1988] - Eastern Airlines union-management relations.

"Final Offer" [V-2001; 78 mins.; 1985] - behind-the-scenes detailed negotiations in auto.

"Harlan County, USA" [V-4099; 90 mins., 1975] - Academy Award Winner for Best Documentary, this Barbara Kopple film shows the dramatic 1973 coal miners strike against Kentucky's Duke Power Co.

"Labor and Management" [V-612; 30 mins.; 1989] - "Economics USA" segment on 1909 ILGWU strike, 1960s newspaper strike, and 1980s concession bargaining.

"Salt of the Earth" [V-472; 94 mins.; 1954] - classic dramatization of successful 13- month New Mexico mining strike in which wives joined husbands on picket lines. Most of the roles were played by the miners and their families. Filmed at the height of the 1950s McCarthyite blacklist, the film was long barred from distribution and its leading actress (Mexican star Rosaura Revueltas) deported. Director Herbert Biberman was imprisoned for his refusal to cooperate with the House UnAmerican Activities Committee.

"Watsonville on Strike" [V-1021; 65 mins.; 1989] - 18-month cannery workers' strike led by women and undocumented immigrants.

"We Are America's Teamsters" [V-755; 28 mins.; 1988] -- describes organization & operation of Teamsters Union.

Women at Work

"Double Burden: 3 Generations of Working Mothers" [V-2815; 1992] - lives of 3 generations of working mothers of different ethnic and racial groups.

"Fast Food Women" [V-3397; 29 mins.; 1991] - wages and working conditions of middle-aged women trying to support their families with jobs in Kentucky fast food restaurants.

"Harlan County, USA" [V-4099; 90 mins., 1975] - Academy Award Winner for Best Documentary, this Barbara Kopple film shows the dramatic 1973 coal miners strike against Kentucky's Duke Power Co.

"Life & Times of Rosie the Riveter" [V-246; 65 mins.; 1980] - 5 women look back on their industrial jobs during World War II.

"Norma Rae" [VD-157; 118 mins.; 1979] Sally Field won a Best Actress Oscar in this stirring story of a poor Southern factory worker who overturns her life to become a union organizer in the fiercely anti-union textile mills.

"Passing the Message" [V-5511; 52 mins.; 1981] Three black union activists in apartheid-era South Africa struggle to organize trade unions for the black majority and confront hostile government policies.

"Salt of the Earth" [V-472; 94 mins.; 1954] - classic dramatization of successful 13- month New Mexico mining strike in which wives joined husbands on picket lines. Most of the roles were played by the miners and their families. Filmed at the height of the 1950s McCarthyite blacklist, the film was long barred from distribution and its leading actress (Mexican star Rosaura Revueltas) deported. Director Herbert Biberman was imprisoned for his refusal to cooperate with the House UnAmerican Activities Committee.

"Silkwood" [V-5872; 134 min.; 1983] Meryl Streep and Cher star in this portrayal of the true story of Karen Silkwood, a young union activist working in a dangerous plutonium processing plant. Silkwood died at 28 under mysterious circumstances while bringing evidence of safety violations to a NY Times reporter. Her death helped speed passage of the landmark federal OSHA law. Directed by Mike Nichols.

"Sins of Our Mothers" [V-2266; 60 mins.; 1988] - 19th Century factory work of young women.

"Watsonville on Strike" [V-1021; 65 mins.; 1989] - 18-month cannery workers' strike led by women and undocumented immigrants.

"Women of Summer" [V-499; 55 mins.; 1986] - 1921-38 educational experiment run by coalition of educators, feminists, and unions.

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Compiled by:
Center for the Study of Labor & Democracy
104 Hofstra University Hempstead, L.I., NY 11549
Fax: 516-463-6519
Tel: 516-463-5040
E-mail: laborstudies@hofstra.edu
May 2006