Union

Organized into a union, workers can make a stand against employers. Amazon knows this too, and does its utmost to keep unions out. Documentary makers Brett Story and Stephen Maing follow the attempt by workers at a gigantic Amazon distribution center in New York to form an internal union. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.

A battle between David and Goliath, which begins in the spring of 2021 when a worker fired by Amazon – who had complained about the unsafe COVID working conditions – wants to form the Amazon Labor Union (ALU). With a few like-minded people, he tries to convince workers at the distribution center of the usefulness of the union.

Union, which often looks like a thriller, follows the (young) union activists for a year using the fly-on-the-wall method. We see their enthusiasm, but also their heated discussions about strategy and internal decision-making. Undercover footage shows how Amazon tries to torpedo the establishment of the union with disinformation and legal procedures. The fight, which sharply illustrates the unequal relationship between labor and capital in the United States, remains exciting until the end.