114 mins |
Rated
PG
Starring Sally Field
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 across public 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.
Why May Day Matters:
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.
Film Lineup and Showtimes:
MATEWAN (John Sayles, 1987, 135 min) – Monday, July 7 at 1:00 PM & 7:00 PM
NORMA RAE (Martin Ritt, 1979, 114 min) – Monday, August 4 at 1:00 PM & 7:00 PM
A BUG’S LIFE (John Lasseter, 1998, 95 min) – Saturday, August 16 at 11:00 AM
REDS (Warren Beatty, 1981, 195 min) – Monday, September 1 (Labor Day) at 1:00 PM & 7:00 PM
About the Films and Their Relevance Today:
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 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, though animated, is a sharp allegory about exploitation and the power of collective uprising—perfect for a younger audience and families.
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.
NORMA RAE (Martin Ritt, 1979, 114min)
On the list of great U.S. labor films, Norma Rae is certainly near the top. The 1979 film, starring Sally Field, for which she won the Oscar Best Actress award, is based on a real 17-year campaign to organize the J.P. Stevens textile mill in Roanoke Rapids, NC. The main character, Norma Rae Wilson, is based on a real mill worker, Crystal Lee Sutton, who had experiences similar to the ones depicted in the film. For most of that time, the union involved was the Textile Workers Union of America (TWUA), the union shown in the film. In 1976, TWUA merged with the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, so that the union which negotiated the contract at Stevens was the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union (ACTWU).
At the Chelsea Theater, we've wanted to play this film for quite some time, and we're finally able to show it. Don't miss this excellent labor film!
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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 across public 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.
Why May Day Matters:
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.
Film Lineup and Showtimes:
MATEWAN (John Sayles, 1987, 135 min) – Monday, July 7 at 1:00 PM & 7:00 PM
NORMA RAE (Martin Ritt, 1979, 114 min) – Monday, August 4 at 1:00 PM & 7:00 PM
A BUG’S LIFE (John Lasseter, 1998, 95 min) – Saturday, August 16 at 11:00 AM
REDS (Warren Beatty, 1981, 195 min) – Monday, September 1 (Labor Day) at 1:00 PM & 7:00 PM
About the Films and Their Relevance Today:
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 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, though animated, is a sharp allegory about exploitation and the power of collective uprising—perfect for a younger audience and families.
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.
NORMA RAE (Martin Ritt, 1979, 114min)
On the list of great U.S. labor films, Norma Rae is certainly near the top. The 1979 film, starring Sally Field, for which she won the Oscar Best Actress award, is based on a real 17-year campaign to organize the J.P. Stevens textile mill in Roanoke Rapids, NC. The main character, Norma Rae Wilson, is based on a real mill worker, Crystal Lee Sutton, who had experiences similar to the ones depicted in the film. For most of that time, the union involved was the Textile Workers Union of America (TWUA), the union shown in the film. In 1976, TWUA merged with the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, so that the union which negotiated the contract at Stevens was the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union (ACTWU).
At the Chelsea Theater, we've wanted to play this film for quite some time, and we're finally able to show it. Don't miss this excellent labor film!
