The first Monday of September marks Labor Day, the annual holiday that grants us a shorter work week and a longer weekend. And while some may regard it as a measure of when the end of summer is nigh or a reminder to not wear white the following day, the holiday honors the many social and economic contributions of working people — in the past and present.
Labor Day officially became a federal holiday on June 28, 1894. But before then, the holiday was recognized by labor activists and individual states. Groups of trade unionists nationwide chose various days to commemorate labor amid the late 19th century, when the trade union and the American labor movement rose to prominence. Oregon became the first state to pass a law recognizing Labor Day, on February 21, 1887. That same year, four more states — Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York — passed similar laws. Connecticut, Nebraska and Pennsylvania followed suit a few years later and by 1894, 23 more states had adopted the holiday before it was recognized by Congress.
Today, Labor Day is publicly celebrated with picnics, parades and festivals. But if you're looking to keep your festivities more private and, dare we say, homey, look no further than your own living room. The best way to enjoy your day off and celebrate from the comfort of your own home is by watching movies that spotlight workers' rights and persevering unions.
Herbert J. Biberman's drama follows a couple — Esperanza Quintero (Rosaura Revueltas) and her emotionally abusive, miner husband Ramón Quintero (Juan Chacón) — whose plans for a prosperous future are threatened after a workers strike, led by the majority of Mexican-American miners, fuels violence and mayhem. As the situation grows more tense in the miners' fight for better working conditions, Esperanza and Ramón are at odds on whether it's best to continue fighting or give up on hope for good.
02
"The Pajama Game" (1957, Tubi and Prime Video)
Based on the 1954 stage musical of the same name, "The Pajama Game" centers on the Sleep-tite Pajama Factory, where a union of overworked factory employees is seeking a wage raise of seven-and-a-half cents an hour, much to the company president's dismay. To add to the mess is a string of corporate corruption that's ultimately (and heroically) uncovered by the newly hired factory superintendent, Sid Sorokin. Directed by George Abbott and Stanley Donen, the film stars Doris Day, John Raitt, Carol Haney and Eddie Foy Jr.
03
"The Molly Maguires" (1970, Pluto TV)
Inspired by the true story of the secret organization of Irish-American militant coal miners established in 19th century Pennsylvania, "The Molly Maguires" chronicles their fight against the cruelty of oppressive mine owners. Their fight is anything but civil as the miners resort to sabotage, violence and even murder to battle their oppression. Directed by Martin Ritt, the historical drama stars Sean Connery as "Black Jack" Kehoe, the leader of the Mollies, along with Richard Harris as Detective James McParlan, who helped dismantle the organization.
04
"Norma Rae" (1979, Max)
In her Oscar-winning performance, Sally Field plays Norma Rae, a single mother and worker at a cotton mill, where the poor working conditions have taken a toll on the health of her family. Following the unfortunate death of her father and fellow employee, Norma Rae unionizes against the mill's negligent management, who attempt to quash her efforts by forcing employees to do more work at less pay and spurring racial hostility between the white and Black workers. Alongside Field, Beau Bridges, Ron Leibman, Pat Hingle and Barbara Baxley star in the drama.
05
"The Killing Floor" (1984, free on Kanopy or rent on Prime, Apple & Vudu)
Bill Duke's feature film explores the true story of two poor Black sharecroppers who find themselves working in Chicago's meatpacking industry, where they come face-to-face with racism, labor disputes and layoffs. The film's protagonist, Frank Custer (Damien Leake) eventually joins the Amalgamated Meat Cutters & Butcher Workmen of North America Union, which consequently fuels more tension than good. In addition to industrial struggles, Custer battles strained relationships with his non-union Black co-workers along with other immigrant workers. Alfre Woodard, Clarence Felder, Moses Gunn and Dennis Farina also star in the film.
06
"North Country" (2005, rent on Prime, Apple & Vudu)
For this Oscar-nominated performance, Charlize Theron plays Josey Aimes, a struggling mother of two who leaves her job washing hair to work at the local iron mine. Once there, Josey quickly realizes that she, along with the other female employees, are constant targets of sexual harassment and humiliation by most of their male co-workers. Josey attempts to recruit the women to form a class action lawsuit against their workplace, but the fight for safer working conditions proves to be more difficult than anticipated. Inspired by the 1997 case of Jenson v. Eveleth Taconite Company, the film also stars Frances McDormand, Sean Bean, Richard Jenkins, Jeremy Renner, Michelle Monaghan and Woody Harrelson.
07
"Cesar Chavez" (2014, Hulu)
Produced and directed by Diego Luna, the film follows the efforts of labor leader and civil rights activist Cesar Chavez. Amid the 1960s, Chavez, along with Dolores Huerta, co-founded the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA), which later merged with the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC) to become the United Farm Workers (UFW) labor union. The film spotlights several major nonviolent campaigns by the UFW, including the Delano grape strike, the Salad Bowl strike, and the 1975 Modesto march. Michael Peña stars as Cesar Chavez and Rosario Dawson stars as Dolores Huerta.
Boots Riley's directorial debut stars LaKeith Stanfield as Cassius "Cash" Green, a young Black telemarketer who adopts a "white voice" to rise through the ranks at RegalView, his exploitative workplace. After participating in a protest as part of his coworker's union push, Cash is surprisingly promoted to an elite Power Caller position. Things, however, get sticky pretty quickly after Cash learns that the Power Callers sell on behalf of WorryFree, a dubious company that outsources slave labor. Cash soon finds himself embarking on an absurd journey — one that involves half-horse, half-human hybrids — as he decides whether his newfound corporate success is truly worth it or not. Tessa Thompson, Terry Crews, Danny Glover and Steven Yeun also star alongside Stanfield.
Joy Saha is a staff writer at Salon. She writes about food news and trends and their intersection with culture. She holds a BA in journalism from the University of Maryland, College Park.
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