Amazon is quite possibly one of the biggest retailers in the world. What once started as an online bookstore, has grown into a behemoth company that spans across America and the world. In the US alone there are 110 Amazon fulfilment centres in operation, running around the clock to deliver customer orders.
Union is a feature length documentary that chronicles current and ex-employees of an Amazon warehouse in Staten Island and their efforts to unionise, battling against immense push back and dirty tactics from management. Workers are at the end of their tether, with a constant worker turnover that gives them no job stability, poor conditions and rubbish pay. They never know if their current shift is going to be their last.
We meet Chris Smalls, the charismatic underdog leader of the Amazon Labor Union (ALU) in 2022, following the height of COVID and the boom of online shopping that came with it. Chris was terminated by Amazon after he protested about the lack of PPE within the facility, and with this, he took aim at the company and started the process to form ALU.
For ALU to officially form as a union, they must gather 30% of their co-workers’ votes, which is not an easy feat when Amazon’s worker turnover see’s almost all workers replaced every 6 months! Chris and his workplace committee must rally up these votes with current Amazon workers, battling a constant barrage of misinformation, threats and brainwashing from Amazon corporates, who will go to great lengths to avoid any unionisation.
Brett Story and Stephen Maing are the filmmakers behind Union. Individually, they’ve had many documentary credits to their name, so it’s no surprise that Union is a well-crafted story that pulls you in. The film feels intimate with its sense of closeness due to the cinematic style. It feels like you’re just another member of the party following along on the journey and letting the story tell itself. There’s no need for narration, and only a few moments of text inserts to help provide context to the timeline and upcoming moments. I really love this style of documentary as it lets the content speak for itself and pushes less of an agenda.
Union is a very emotional film with big ups, a great feeling of hope and then crushing lows, as the push and pull of battle takes its toll on the ALU team and the Amazon workers that we meet, who publicly share their stories with us.
It really opened my eyes to how corrupt and disgusting these giant corporations can be. Often using dirty tactics and having no sense of care for its frontline workers, appearing as if they are simply disposable pawns in this David vs Goliath battle. Since watching the film, I’ve even found myself second guessing my personal use of Amazon and with the want to boycott their services.
The film may be about the desire for workers to unionise, but it cuts deeper and reveals the true costs of convenience, at the human level. A film that can light a fire in you, leave you thinking and second guessing, is the epitome of powerful filmmaking, and Union nails this. I can’t recommend it enough! So, get out there and see it!
Union is screening now as part of the 2025 Antenna Documentary Film Festival.
For more information and ticketing, visit:
https://antennafestival.org
https://antennafestival.org/films/union