MAY DAYS: LABOR ON THE MOVE!, Chelsea Theater
MAY DAYS: LABOR ON THE MOVE!
The Chelsea Theater, in partnership with UE150, proudly presents MAY DAYS: LABOR ON THE MOVE!, a four-film series spotlighting workers’ struggles, union organizing, and collective action across decades and industries. Screenings will take place throughout July, August, and culminate on Labor Day, with films selected to inspire reflection and conversation about labor past and present.
Each evening screening will be introduced by members of UE150, who will also host community discussions after the films to explore connections between on-screen stories and current labor efforts across North Carolina as well as the current state of labor movements. Attendees will have access to resources and information including action items and opportunities to get involved—because labor struggle is always on the move, and there’s a role for everyone.
Who Is UE150:
UE150, the North Carolina Public Service Workers Union, is a democratic, member-run union organizing workers acrosspublic sectors including sanitation, healthcare, education, and transportation. For decades, they’ve fought for living wages, safe conditions, and collective bargaining rights in a state that bars public sector union contracts.
May Day, or International Workers’ Day, honors the global legacy of worker resistance. Though more widely celebrated abroad, May Day’s roots are deeply American, tied to the 1886 Haymarket Riots in Chicago where the Haymarket Martyrs fought for important basic labor rights like the eight-hour workday. May Day serves as a powerful reminder that ordinary people have the power to organize and fight for their own liberation. The struggle against oppression, exploitation, environmental destruction, and war is ongoing and global as is the enduring struggle for workplace dignity, safety, and fairness.
SHOWING:
MATEWAN
(John Sayles, 1987, 135 min)
Monday, July 7 at 1:00 PM & 7:00 PM
MATEWAN dramatizes a 1920s coal miners’ strike in West Virginia, illustrating the power of showing broader solidarity and organizing across racial lines under brutal conditions—a story resonant with today’s battles against union-busting in the South.
NORMA RAE
(Martin Ritt, 1979, 114 min)
Monday, August 4 at 1:00 PM & 7:00 PM
NORMA RAE captures the courage of textile workers in the Carolinas fighting for union representation, echoing ongoing modern struggles across the South’s industrial corridors.
A BUG’S LIFE
(John Lasseter, 1998, 95 min)
Saturday, August 16 at 11:00 AM
A BUG’S LIFE, though animated, is a sharp allegory about exploitation and the power of collective uprising—perfect for a younger audience and families.
REDS
(Warren Beatty, 1981, 195 min)
Monday, September 1 (Labor Day) at 1:00 PM & 7:00 PM
REDS, an epic retelling of journalist John Reed’s life, with a focus on his coverage of the Bolshevik Revolution, highlights how international labor movements and radical politics shape national histories, reminding us of the broader global context of local fights.