WHO MOVES AMERICA? tells the story of the UPS Teamsters Union's efforts in 2023 to negotiate a fair contract with UPS lest they force a company-wide strike.

Some members remember the last strike, in 1997, wherein Teamsters fought to maintain workers' pensions and avoid a slashing of full-time jobs in favor of cheaper part-time jobs. Now, the full-time vs. part-time rhetoric is being combatted, as Teamsters seek a contract that also increases part-timers pay.

Another goal is an elimination of the 22.4 position, a hybrid position that in theory, allows drivers flexibility by mixing their shifts with indoor package handling, but in practice, results in UPS sending more drivers out with less pay and no overtime protection. The company basically found a way to run drivers ragged for less money. Fuckin' capitalism, am I right?

But Bridge's movie doesn't harp on contract intricacies, instead humanizing workers with different situations. One Brooklyn teamster picketed during the '97 strike and wishes to leave a better legacy for his brethren moving forward. Another young father from California joins Teamster meetings in order to facilitate a better path forward for his family. Another Kentucky woman is a part-timer working while studying in college, skeptical of what real benefits a new contract will offer but receptive to any advances. We see them chatting in diners, prepping kids for bedtime, getting made up in their bathrooms. Bridge's approach is intimate, reminding us of the faces and lives in mind during each round of negotiations.

It's not a movie that wraps things up in a bow and I wonder if Bridge's ending reigns more critical of the Teamsters' efforts than one would think. But as President Bartlett from THE WEST WING says, "...change comes in excruciating increments for those who want it."

As Dave Hause puts it, "There's always some dirty fucker, always some corner-cutting son of a bitch."

So it's inevitable that there will always be another contract. Thankfully, WHO MOVES AMERICA? reminds us that the spirit of collective bargaining is also always alive and fucking well.

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Buy tickets for the April 30th screening of WHO MOVES AMERICA at the Austin Film Society here

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