Summary
This short film addresses the issue of aggressive union recruitment in the workplace and how this can be counterproductive to signing up new members. The fictional storyline takes place in warehouse, where a new employee is pressured to join the union on their first day on the job. During the interaction, two union delegates take turns trying to convince the new employee that he has no option but to join the union. Having had a bad experience with the union in a previous job, the new employee is unconvinced and resists the attempts at intimidation. When posing the issue as freedom of choice, the new employee is told that ‘conscientious objectors’ are not welcome in their work place and that he has the ‘choice’ to work somewhere else if he does not like it. The film ends with the new employee quitting on the first day, much to the dismay of one of the union delegates, who tries to talk him out of it.
The film was written and directed by Keith Gow, formerly of the Waterside Workers Film Unit.
Special Notes/Achievements
Produced by Film Australia for the Australian Council For Union Training.
Author: J Bird, 2023