Documentary Review: 'Who Moves America'

Tweet Greetings again from the darkness. Whether it's flight attendants, dock workers, or Amazon, we tend to think about, and dread, the inconvenience a labor strike will cause us personally. Documentarian Yael Bridge gives us a rare peek inside … sometimes behind closed doors … to show us how a potential work stoppage (strike) could affect those workers and their families. This time, the company is UPS, which according to the film handles approximately six percent of all goods in the United States. The film opens with some archival footage of the first UPS strike in 1997, before jumping to 2023 when the 340,000 UPS workers are preparing for collective bargaining on a new contract. Coming off the post-COVID era where UPS profits soared, the Teamsters union members are requesting and expecting many favorable changes. Filmmaker Bridge focuses on three people: a relatively new UPS driver in California, a long-time New York employee who was around during the 1997 strike, and a struggling part-timer in Kentucky. It should be noted that part-timers make up about 60% of the UPS workforce, and based on some of what we learn here, the company may have been skirting legalities in this area. Solidarity is built through education and communication, and it's a slow process when the workers are spread throughout the country and the expectations vary widely. At the time, drivers averaged $39 per hour and part-timers averaged $16 per hour. Of course, higher wages were one demand, but so were better working conditions (breaks, holidays, etc). It's pretty interesting to hear these discussions, and even more enlightening to see which employees take a leadership role. The Teamsters' national President, Sean O'Brien, makes the rounds and provides video updates for the employees. He's also the one who announces a 'tentative agreement' (one that not every employee loves) that is subject to voting passage. Since each subsequent labor contract is built upon previous negotiations, generations of workers play a role … and this time it appears the union will plan ahead for the next round coming in five years. The film opens September 9, 2026 in NYC's IFC Center, kicking off a nationwide release that expands to Los Angeles on September 24, followed by Philadelphia, Boston, Encinitas, and additional cities throughout the fall. David Ferguson is a lifelong movie lover and passionate reviewer. He is also a husband, father, business owner, Longhorn, and baseball aficionado. Member of the DFW Film Critics Association. Twitter: @fergusontx site: http://moviereviewsfromthedark.com/