“If they can break what’s always been the biggest and strongest union in this country? Believe me, other unions will not be able to withstand the onslaught.”

Story: The Teamsters – “the largest collective bargaining agreement in all of North America” – fight for the rights of over a million employees throughout the USA. So when the UPS/Teamsters in 2023 contract was up for renewal, the 2018 contract seemed to require a major overhaul. But will the employees, the union reps, and the UPS honchos come together, before over 340 thousand employees strike?

Genre I’d put it in: Documentaries Worth Paying Attention To
Release Date: 2026 (festival circuit)
Remake, Sequel, Based-On, or Original:  Based on the 2023 collective bargaining between UPS and the Teamsters in 2023.

Gotta say: I used to be an HR specialist. As an HR gal, I wasn’t allowed to chat with union reps, so naturally, those reps seemed like an awesome secret society, fighting for the workers. America shows the hard work of negotiating a union contract from the viewpoint of the reps, and the individuals who are affected by the outcome of a new agreement. And I was fascinated. America is just as fascinating.

Director Yael Bridge uses footage from the 2023 contract negotiations – and of the 1997 UPS strike when that year’s contract negotiations stalled – to portray a serious moment in history with an eye to the members. We see employees who hope for more, local union reps who try to figure out what to fight for, and what to negotiate with, and the leaders of the Teamsters who take these proposals to Washington, DC. Bridge focuses on Local 542 in San Marcos, CA, Local 804 in Brooklyn, and Local 82 in Louisville, KY.

Bridge’s ability to connect with individuals in these areas give us a picture of why the union is fighting, and how these changes could affect rank-and-file employees. For example, UPS didn’t have AC for their truck drivers or their warehouse employees. I was gobsmacked; in the 21st Century, air conditioning is still negotiable? Bridge uses news footage of employees whose health was affected, including a heartbreaking death that galvanized members.

Interviews showed that even with the strike of ’97, the 2018 UPS contract wasn’t a good one for employees, which shocked me. I’d always assumed contracts simply got better and better. Seeing contract negotiations as a give-and-take that often leaves members and employees at a loss wasn’t something I’d ever considered. Bridges also highlights the plight of Amazon workers, so when she cuts to UPS employees experiencing similar issues like passing out on the job – sometimes while driving – my heart went out to all the workers at the company.

The documentary “counts down” the time until the contract expires/a strike could be imminent by inserting text into the beginnings of new scenes. This helps viewers understand the timeframe, and how things ramp up. From local union reps getting information to employees, to Teamster leaders getting the word out to everyone via news clips, America shows all the work that goes into a new contract.

We also get lots of time with members/employees who aren’t sure what’s in store; this isn’t a film where the union is absolutely right about everything, but it’s working towards the betterment of all. When it’s time to vote for the contract, while many are wholeheartedly for it, some question it, and others are fully against it, hoping for more needed changes. I mean, fair; part-timers, who made up 60% of UPS employees as of this documentary, only got 10 minutes for lunch. That feels Dickensian; I got a mental image of Oliver Twist asking for more…time.

This documentary ends with the contract being accepted, and we see many of the individuals Bridge had been following react to the news. There’s also a worry that the individuals who were around for both the ’97 strike and this negotiation may not be around when it’s time to re-negotiate. Just goes to show you that for the worker, it’s always something. But America shows us that sometimes, things can get better. I hope that’s the case for them in 2028.

#Protip: If you’re curious about the whole union thing here in the USA? A list of active unions is a great place to start your digging.