‘A reminder of why we have unions’: Matewan writer and director on the film’s lessons for the labor movement
Summary
John Sayles was inspired by coal miners' stories of union struggles in West Virginia to write and direct the 1987 film Matewan. The film tells the story of coal miners uniting across racial lines to fight against company agents trying to stop unionizing, based on a real 1920 event involving violence. Sayles made the film to remind people why unions are important and highlighted ongoing challenges workers face today in organizing and striking.Key Facts
- John Sayles hitchhiked in West Virginia in 1970 and learned about coal miners' union conflicts.
- The Matewan Massacre in 1920 involved violent clashes between miners and company agents hired to stop unions.
- In the film Matewan, miners from different races and ethnic groups unite to strike against the coal company.
- Company agents used violence, including killing a miner, to try to stop union efforts.
- The National Labor Relations Act of 1935 gave workers legal rights to unionize and bargain collectively.
- Later laws like the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 restrict some types of strikes and organizing.
- Sayles noted companies today can move jobs abroad, making union efforts harder in some industries.
- Collective action from diverse groups is needed to create strong labor movements in the US.
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