Amazon’s Shocking Labor Battle Revealed: Uncover the Dark Side in ‘Union’ Chronicles!

“Union” is a fresh take on the classic labor documentary genre. The film explores the endeavor of a group of Staten Island Amazon warehouse employees to form a union, a story that aligns with renowned films like “Harlan County USA” and “American Factory”. However, according to co-director Brett Story, who also directed “The Hottest August”, this narrative has a unique element.

Story noticed an opportunity to narrate a labor story in the backdrop of the modern economy, which is starkly different from the economy featured in traditional labor movies. Story, who was fresh off a flight in Toronto where she resides, shared her thoughts during a recent phone conversation with fellow filmmaker Stephen Maing, the director of “Crime + Punishment”. She stated that this film would provide a glimpse into the world of gig workers, the global supply chain, and a new wave of activists.

The movie commences with a scene from the 2021 Blue Origin manned rocket launch that carried Amazon’s founder, Jeff Bezos, into space. On Earth, we see Chris Smalls, a former Amazon worker who was fired from the JFK8 fulfillment center the previous year due to his activism for better COVID protection for workers. Smalls uses his charismatic personality to encourage his former colleagues to join the cause after their grueling 11-hour shifts, hosting a barbecue outside the warehouse.

The directors closely follow the workers’ unionization process, which culminated in a successful 2022 vote that established the Amazon Labor Union, the first independent Amazon union in the U.S. This year, the union teamed up with the Teamsters, though Amazon has yet to negotiate a contract.

The film “Union” paints a picture of a struggle filled with irony. The workers are striving for a better future in a company whose business model thrives on a 150% turnover rate and cycling through the workforce rather than nurturing it, as Maing points out. The employees live in a world of contradictions, being hailed as essential yet treated as dispensable and witnessing their company’s profits soar while their wages remain stagnant.

The battle is tough. Smalls, a former rapper and father of three, leads a diverse group of activists through a challenging journey to victory. The group faces internal disagreements over potential partnerships with larger, more established unions, and with Smalls himself, who has a strong personality that draws national attention but also causes strife within the group. The film delves deeply into these dynamics.

According to Story, the key question is, “Who gets involved in this type of struggle?” This motley crew includes friends and strangers, long-term and new Amazon employees, and even people living in their cars. There’s a certain magnetism in this group that pulls people into the struggle and keeps them committed for the long haul.

Instead of a typical underdog narrative, the film focuses on the human aspect, portraying the raw, unvarnished reality. Story acknowledges that it might be hard for people to watch themselves on screen, especially during moments of personal growth and emotional turmoil, but the subjects of the film appreciated the authenticity.

Despite the filmmakers’ best efforts, “Union” is yet to secure mainstream distribution. Maing comments on the lack of surprise given that Amazon is one of the few media conglomerates that dominate the entertainment industry. In the meantime, the film is being independently distributed until a more formal arrangement is made.

Inspired by their subjects’ resilience during unpredictable events, the filmmakers remain hopeful. Maing recalls a particularly challenging shoot where a storm threatened to blow away their tent. He describes this as a metaphor for the struggle against Amazon, where things can always get worse, yet the activists continue to persevere.