Union Battles

This terrific documentary is on TCM today. Please check it out!

After viewing the fictional coal miners in 'How Green was my Valley' I decided to check out the real thing. This film is one of the most gut-wrenching and powerful documentaries I have seen. I highly recommend watching this terrific film that you might have missed!

‘Harlan County U.S.A.’ is the 1976 Academy award winner for Best Documentary that chronicles the 3 year struggle for union representation for coal miners in Harlan County, Kentucky. Their battle took place in the early 70's and became a national event. The filmmakers were granted full access to the union organizers in chronicling their efforts. They observed meetings in halls, rallies in churches and they visited homes throughout the region. The crew originally intended to be there for only a few months, but ended up staying for years to chronicle this amazing confrontation. Filmmakers also labored to record and preserve the rich history of songs that miners and organizers wrote and sang about their conditions. There is a CD that contains much of this folk music history.

1976’s ‘Harlan County U.S.A.’ has amazing footage of the desperate conditions in which many of these miners and their families lived. It is stupefying that these conditions existed anywhere in the world, let alone in the U.S. The mine provided housing to workers that had no electricity, heat or running water. There is fantastic footage of the President of the mine company complaining that the strike has interfered with the company's plans to upgrade the housing. The audacity it takes to complain about people wanting water or heat is outrageous. As the dispute grew longer the tactics became more violent. Beatings, intimidation and shootings became frequent. A mine accident that kills 78 people galvanizes both the press and the workers in their fight for better pay and working conditions.

The people who labored for 4 years to make this documentary deserve all the credit anyone can possibly give them. Faced with physical and psychological intimidation themselves, they persevered in their fight to show the world what was happening. While this was filmed in the 1970s, the battle between profits and working conditions and compensation rings as true and relevant to this day. Too often individuals forget that the people with whom they disagree are people who deserve respect and care.

‘Harlan County U.S.A.’ is unnerving, powerful, intimidating, depressing and uplifting all in one experience. Don't miss it!

Side note: Barbara Kopple was a first time director for this feature. She won the Oscar for this movie and would win her second for ‘American Dream’ in 1991. That was also about labor strife and is worth a viewing as well. ‘Harlan County, U.S.A.’ is available on MAX.