Union Maids (1976)
Library of Congress description:
Julia Reichert, Jim Klein and Miles Mogulescu directed this seminal labor documentary on the attempt to create industrial unions during the tumultuous 1930s. Crafted in the form of an oral history interspersed with footage from the National Archives, the film interviews three Chicago women who served as labor organizers during that period: Kate Hyndman, Stella Nowicki and Sylvia Woods. The best documentaries let the subjects speak for themselves, and “Union Maids” benefits greatly from the passion of these three remarkable women whose moving recollections vividly recreate the era. An exemplary example of “history from the bottom up” filmmaking, it resonates as both a plea for union rights but also equality for women taking part in often male-dominated unions. The film had a theatrical run in nearly 20 cities and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature.
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