EXCLUSIVE: A documentary now in production will examine the UPS workforce and its union, even as the package shipping company faces the possibility of a strike that could impact the entire U.S. economy.
Who Moves America (working title), directed by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Yael Bridge (Saving Capitalism, The Big Scary “S” Word), began filming in fall 2022 is expected to wrap by summer 2024 in time to premiere at fall festivals next year.
“With a focus on the future of work, the increasing popularity of unions and rate of work stoppages, and the importance of the logistics industry and supply chain to daily life in the U.S., the film follows UPS workers from across the country,” including San Diego, Louisville, KY, Brooklyn, NY, and Washington D.C., according to a release about the documentary. “The film also follows high-profile figures including Sean O’Brien, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters who is leading the negotiations with UPS.”
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Contract negotiations between UPS and the Teamsters Union, which represents more than 330,000 UPS workers, broke down Wednesday morning. The union tweeted, “UPS walked away from the bargaining table after presenting an unacceptable offer to the Teamsters that did not address members’ needs… Following marathon negotiations, UPS refused to give the Teamsters a last, best, and final offer, telling the union the company had nothing more to give.”
O’Brien said in a tweet, “This multibillion-dollar corporation has plenty to give American workers — they just don’t want to. UPS had a choice to make, and they have clearly chosen to go down the wrong road.”
UPS countered with its own statement, denying it cut off negotiations and putting the onus on the Teamsters to resume talks. “We have not walked away, and the union has a responsibility to remain at the table,” the company said.
Negotiations began in April; the current contract expires on August 1. In mid-June, UPS said it was confident an agreement would be reached before the contract expiration, and it has agreed to some union demands, including a provision to install air conditioning or fans in UPS delivery trucks (climate change has made heat safety a growing concern for the union; in the past two years two UPS drivers have died while on the job, possibly from heat-related illnesses, and others have required medical treatment for heat-related causes).
According to some reports, if UPS workers strike it would be the biggest labor walkout in the U.S. since the 1950s. The consequences for the American economy could be severe: UPS handles about a quarter of daily package traffic in the U.S. per day. The Washington Post reported a UPS walkout “would threaten the transportation of goods across the country and have far-reaching implications for the economy.”
“While union popularity is at a historic high, union membership is at a historic low,” director Yael Bridge noted in a statement. “This is a critical moment to be exploring unions and their relevance in our society. Six percent of GDP flows through UPS every single day. As UPS faces increasing pressure from Amazon and our everyday reliance on package deliveries shows no signs of abating, logistics industry working conditions and this potential strike would impact every corner of the country.”
Who Moves America is being produced by Yoni Golijov (Oscar-nominated All The Beauty and the Bloodshed), Mars Verrone and Jeremy Flood (UPS Strike: Lessons from ‘97). The director of photography is Erick Stoll (Oscar winner American Factory). Bridge, Golijov and Stoll previously collaborated on the documentary on the Los Angeles teachers strike of 2019, When We Fight.
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