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Deep Dive: Union (2024)

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Union
Union is a 2024 documentary directed by Brett Story and Stephen Maing that focuses on the efforts of the Amazon Labor Union to unionize the JFK8 Warehouse in Staten Island. The film captures the experiences of both former and current Amazon workers as they navigate the complexities of organizing against a large corporation. It provides insight into the dynamics of labor organizing in a modern context, particularly highlighting the challenges faced by a new generation of labor organizers who have grown up in an era of declining union power. The production began in 2020 when producers Samantha Curley and Mars Verrone reached out to labor organizer Chris Smalls to document his organizing efforts. The filmmakers followed the union drive both online and in-person, capturing the internal opposition from Amazon. The film premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and was released on October 18, 2024, after the filmmakers chose to self-distribute due to difficulties in securing a distributor willing to work with Amazon-related content.

Why Watch

  • •Follow Chris Smalls and the Amazon Labor Union's fight
  • •See the internal efforts by Amazon to discourage unionizing
  • •Meet the new generation of labor organizers in action

Did You Know

•The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2024.
•It received 89% positive reviews from 35 critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
•The documentary has a runtime of 102 minutes.
•The film won the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for the Art of Change.

Perfect For

Labor rights activismAmazon warehouse workersDocumentary film enthusiasts