This feature-length documentary film follows low-wage, mostly immigrant hotel workers in Southern California — members of Unite Here Local 11, the hospitality workers’ union — as they struggle for new contracts with Disney and Hyatt, and as their campaigns intersect with the Occupy Wall Street movement. The film features interviews with both native-born and immigrant workers, as well as with union officials, labor leaders, academics, and intellectuals, as it pieces together a snapshot of today’s US labor movement. In addition, it compares US unions — which are much weaker than they used to be — with their counterparts in Sweden, home of the world’s strongest labor unions. Workers, students, and prominent figures from Swedish labor and politics reveal how they came to be the most unionized nation on earth, and recount the astonishing victories they stacked up in the 20th century. In today’s shifted political environment, however, Swedish labor and its political allies describe facing off against forces which are already rolling back the gains made by working people. Interviewees also share how Swedish unions face similar challenges as the US, particularly with respect to immigrant workers and youth disengagement from the labor movement. How do powerful labor unions change the lives of workers, and society overall? What is the link between unionization and income equality? What is the role of unions in a healthy democracy? Which lessons might Americans take from the …

Yep, this is part of John & Hank’s project. I have directed 7 productions of Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues. Every year, at least one person from the cast and audience has told me that the play has changed his/her life. now that’s awesome! For more information on how this amazing 10-year-old campaign helps females, and how you can give or participate, go to www.vday.org From the website: V-Day is a global movement to stop violence against women and girls. V-Day is a catalyst that promotes creative events to increase awareness, raise money and revitalize the spirit of existing anti-violence organizations. V-Day generates broader attention for the fight to stop violence against women and girls, including rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation (FGM) and sexual slavery. Through V-Day campaigns, local volunteers and college students produce annual benefit performances of The Vagina Monologues to raise awareness and funds for anti-violence groups within their own communities. In 2006, over 2700 V-Day benefit events took place by volunteer activists in the US and around the world, educating millions of people about the reality of violence against women and girls. Performance is just the beginning. V-Day stages large-scale benefits and produces innovative gatherings, films and campaigns to educate and change social attitudes towards violence against women including the documentary Until the Violence Stops; community briefings on the missing and murdered women of …
Video Rating: 4 / 5