UNION (Stephen Maing, Brett Story, 2024)
A still from the film featuring ALU organisers, including leader Chris Smalls.
What do we do when the people and the things that are there to protect us fail to? When our managers, or our supervisors, the same cogs in the conglomerate as us, are against us?
Union follows the story of a group of ordinary people as they attempt to unionise their Amazon work place. Led by Chris Smalls, the president of the ALU (Amazon Labour Union), who was fired from his job as a supervisor in an Amazon fulfilment centre in Staten Island, for organising a protest against the lack of PPE provided by Amazon during the pandemic. Chris dedicates everything to the cause, sitting outside the warehouse constantly, providing the workers inside with information on how to join him, what the union could provide for them if brought in, free food, and at one point even free weed for everyone. Chris’ dedication is infectious, and we see the sacrifices he makes for the success of the ALU. The film paints an intimate portrait of him, showing the highs and lows that come with the position he has taken on.
Chris is not alone on his mission to unionise the warehouse, but is joined by a group of others who were fired by Amazon, and people who still currently work in the factory. One member, Jason, notes that while the group come from entirely different backgrounds, they’ve formed an extremely strong bond that will never be broken. A heartwarming sentiment felt throughout the film, as the workers all come together, to fight for each other, and to support each other. The organisers are definitely not without their differences though, the film does not shy away from showing arguments and tensions between them, disagreements on how they should try to get the signatures, and how long they should give themselves to try and get these signatures. These differences only humanise the group further, reminding us that most of the organisers do not have experience in anything like this, but are just ordinary workers doing their best to help their fellow worker.
The odds are completely stacked against the ALU, and most thought that beating a titan like Amazon was impossible, especially for a worker-led union with essentially no experience. One of the hardest moments in the film is when the ALU is approached by an established union to have a meeting, the ALU hoping to gain a sponsor, or a partner in their mission against Amazon, only to be, as the ALU describe it, lectured to like children. The ALU is entirely on its own within the struggle, only adding to the amazing feat of winning the election.
The film follows every moment of the grass roots campaign from day one, introducing the characters involved and the hardship they face and struggle with. This close, intimate style fully immerses us within the film and within the campaign, putting us right there with Chris and the ALU, making it far more impactful when they finally get their victory.
The ALU after their historic victory against Amazon.
The film is a true testament to the power of the people, a story of the working class and of ordinary people coming together to help each other. A story of empathy, and of the human spirit. Union emphasises the struggles we all face as workers, even as those above try to separate the group. At one point as Chris goes to a hearing due to Amazon once again trying to fight their historic victory, one senator tries to split the group, turning the issue into a left versus right debate. He claims that the left already have their mind made up on Amazon and, which is why they’ve started this union, praising Bezos all the while, but as Chris reiterates, this is a working class issue, and it is the working class people of all backgrounds that make people like Bezos his money.
While Bezos doesn’t play a particularly strong role throughout the film, we see his space shuttle taking off, and the news broadcaster says, ‘I wish I was in there’, a sentiment felt throughout the entire film, as we have followed the working class people who have earned him the money to head into space. This moment is rectified at the end of the film, after the ALU wins the election and Chris Smalls makes sure to thank Jeff Bezos, for going to space as while he was up there, the ALU was getting signatures on their petition and unionising their work place.
WORKER SOLIDARITY FOREVER!
