watch it: “union meeting” clip from ‘Matewan’

Nice clip. Reminds me that the US used to be the fore-front of organised labour.

Is it a coincidence that Labour getting tarred as criminal and corrupt occurs as American manufacturing fails?

Is it a coincidence that Labour getting tarred as criminal and corrupt occurs as American manufacturing fails?

What makes you think that started happening when American manufacturing fails?

On the Waterfront doesn't paint a rosy picture of American organized labor and that was made during the height of the American manufacturing era.

Nor is all union corruption in America a figment of Michael Medved's imagination--though it would be nice if it were.

And yet it's hard to read American history and not come to the conclusion that unions are a necessary evil whose necessity has not yet passed. As bad as union corruption has been in the US, management corruption has been worst. And unfortunately, it seems to be a lot harder to punish a corrupt management team than to punish a corrupt union.

this clip reminded me of why i consider Chris Cooper an acting god. i remember seeing this film and loving it (as i do all John Sayles movies) but chris cooper is the one who stood out for me, just as he has in every movie he's every been in, no matter what his character.

and yes, what has happened to the strength of the union members? where did their power go? sold away to overseas labor markets so we could keep going and buying crap at wal-mart on lesser wages. we're in the midst of another age of labor squashing tycoons -- only now they're giant conglomerate corporations.