Union Maids

Union Maids weaves the personal stories of three women who rose up to organize and empower their class during the rank-and-file labor movement of the 1930s. Kate Hyndman, Stella Nowicki, and Sylvia Woods describe their upbringing and the mores around work that were instilled in them from a young age. At the beginning of the Depression, jobs were difficult to find, especially for women, and workers were forced to settle for low wages and poor conditions. Each woman recounts the challenges of securing a job, the circumstances that led to her decision to act, and the pivotal moments when she could no longer remain silent. Photographed on black-and-white 16mm film some four decades after the events described, their recollections unfold through close interviews with the filmmakers, which allows history to feel conversational and personal. Archival footage of workers organizing and music of the labor movement embellish Kate’s, Stella’s, and Sylvia’s powerful memories, connecting the individual stories of three ordinary and yet remarkable women to a greater national movement. (Full Frame Documentary Film Festival)