Kopple frames the documentary as a hopeful human story that creates empathy, emphasizing victories like the DoorDash settlement over pure despair.
Insiders note Kopple’s return to labor issues coincides with a moment where workers feel ignored by rapid news cycles, positioning her film as a necessary counter-narrative to social media noise.
1. In 2025, DoorDash paid $17 million to settle claims regarding tip subsidies in New York. 2. The film screened at Venice and TIFF before heading to Ji.hlava. 3. Kopple cites the current administration making naturalization 'very difficult' for worker William.
Kopple isn’t just making a movie; she’s building a historical record for workers the system tries to erase. The receipts are there, and so is the rage.
Barbara Kopple, the double Academy Award-winning director behind the seminal labor docs "Harlan County U.S.A." and "American Dream," has officially completed her trilogy on worker rights with the release of "Union Town." This isn't just another documentary; it is a visceral look at the modern labor war, following US delivery and warehouse workers employed by giants like UPS and Amazon, as well as app-based "deliveristas." Kopple tells Variety that her return to this subject matter is personal and political, stating, "I guess I’ve always been drawn to stories about people fighting for dignity and fairness in their lives." For a director who spent years with coal miners and meatpackers, the shift to gig economy workers feels less like a trend and more like an inevitable continuation of her life's work.
The core drama of "Union Town" revolves around the dehumanization of these workers. Kopple observes that post-pandemic, many delivery workers began to feel "disposable," risking their lives while the public remained indifferent to who was actually delivering their packages. "They were risking their lives for others, and people didn’t understand that," she notes.
The film aims to shatter this indifference by forcing audiences to see and feel the humanity of these individuals. It’s a direct challenge to a culture that prioritizes convenience over compassion, with Kopple hoping the film ensures workers are "never, ever treated as 'disposable' again." The narrative includes stark examples of systemic failure and individual struggle. One subject, William, a musician in his home country, reveals that his career is stalled because becoming a naturalized citizen is "very difficult under our current administration, if not impossible." This political context adds a layer of urgency to the labor fight, showing how immigration policy directly impacts worker mobility and rights.
Meanwhile, longtime Teamster union organizer Tony Rosario offers a lesson in solidarity, teaching his children that while one piece of kindling breaks easily, a big stack cannot. It’s a metaphor for the collective power Kopple believes is the only way to win against powerful institutions. Despite the heavy subject matter, Kopple insists the film is not dark but rather "very hopeful," documenting tangible victories alongside the struggles.
A key receipt of progress mentioned in the film is the 2025 settlement where delivery platform DoorDash agreed to pay $17 million to resolve claims that it used customer tips to subsidize worker wages in New York. The documentary’s impact was already felt at the Venice Film Festival, where Amazon workers in the audience received a standing ovation. Kopple argues that in an age of rapid social media cycles, documentaries are more necessary than ever to "slow down and really listen" to voices that are otherwise ignored. Produced by Cabin Creek Films and sold by Autlook Filmsales, "Union Town" is heading to the Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival, ensuring these stories cannot be erased from history.
