Of US Labor Video
Steve Zeltzer
Producer, Labor Video Project, Labornet Steering Committee
Recording Secretary UPPNET
The growing confrontations between the US working class and corporate America is bringing increasing calls for more labor video and radio productions. From the UPS national teamster strike, to the GM strikes, many battles are raging although there is very little about many these struggles in the corporate controlled media.
These battles including the fight against privatization is one of the reasons for the growing use of labor video on a local level. Carl Bryant, is a member of the steering committee of UPPNET and the founder of the monthly National Association Of Letter Carriers (NALC) Local 214 TV show called TV214. Today, as a result of his work there are two other Letter Carrier shows in Conneticut and Colorado and more are on the way. Many of his shows have focused on the struggles against privatization & contracting out of the postal service.
The use of the internet, to stream video and audio means that an increasing number of labor TV shows will be available regionally and internationally on the web. LaborBeat in Chicago is putting their shows on the web and the Labor Video Project in San Francisco recently put up a speakout on Labor, Pacifica and the Media on the web at (http://brighpathvideo.com/html/default_KPFA_protests.htm).
One of the most significant labor historical contributions this year to labor video and education is "Golden Lands, WorkingHands" by California Federation Of Teachers communication director Fred Glass on the history of the California working class. This series of video segments which took 7 years to put together is also tied to a labor education sylabus for school teachers in California.
Despite the local and regional growth and use of labor video, the national AFL-CIO and most internationals refuse to step up funding to local labor video training and support for productions. At the recent AFL-CIO convention in Los Angeles, resolutions by the Oregon State AFL-CIO, the Madison, Wisconsin Labor Council and others to support labor video were refereed to the Executive Committee and not acted upon at the convention. These UPPNET initiated resolutions also called on the AFL-CIO
to challenge the licenses of all commercial TV and radio stations as well as PBS/NPR until more labor programming is provided.
The need of labor videographers/programmers and radio programmers to do regular labor media education is also vital. The political need to rally the labor movement against censorship not only of labor but of environmentalists, women and minorities is crucial to build broad support. The media monopolization exposes the growing monopolization and attack on democratic communication and working people must be educated about the dangers of these developments.
The media blockade of regular labor programming both on television and radio has not stopped the growth indedepent labor video programming on a local level. New labor tv shows are being established in Portland, Boston and other cities around the country.
The battle against the corporatization of the Pacifica Radio network has also led within the trade unions to a growing discussion about the need for independent labor media. Pacifica has the only regular labor radio shows in Berekely, Los Angeles and New York.
The potential destruction of this network which reaches 20% of the population was seen as a real threat to the right of labor to get it's voice out. In many instances, Pacifica Radio network is the only regular radio voice for labor struggles. It was as a result of this danger that UPPNET focused a good deal of time and labor on getting the message out about the Pacifica struggle.
The bay area labor movement was united therefore, when the station was shuttered and the workers were locked out. Over 10,000 people rallied in protest and the bay area labor councils with CWA9415 which represented the workers had support rallies. This was one of the first mass struggles to protect independent media in the United States and it opened up a new discussion within many in the unions about the importance of using labor video, radio and other new technology.
One of the best videos to come out of this struggle was by John Farula and trademan and video/web producer of Brightpath Video. His site at www.brightpathvideo.com had an exciting multi-media approach to the struggle with video, audio and links to other web pages. His video "Free Speech Radio Under Attack" not only captured the role of the police in shutting down the radio station but a rally of trade unionists demanding that the station be reopened.
The multi-media use of video/audio web streaming will play a growing role in the development of labor video in the United States and internationlly. The use of micro-radio was also a valuable asset in voicing opposition ot the attempted corporate take-over of KPFA and the Pacifica Network.
The Union Producers and Programmers Network (UPPNET) is also working on developing joint productions in the struggle against the WTO as well as helping to facilitate the exchange of tapes from community access centers around the country.
The key to the growth in the development of training programs for the hundreds and thousands of workers who need to know how to use and develop labor video. At many labor demonstrations and strikes around the country, workers shoot video but most of this never sees the light of day.
It is the responsiblity of the growing number of labor videograpers to reach out and train these worker videograpers on how to edit and get their productions on television. It is also important that Labor Media Centers be established where workers and unionists can get training on editing, putting up web pages and developing labor communication skills.
At the same time, in depth programs on privatization, deregulation, WTO, Housing, Healthcare, Labor Law or the lack thereof need to be produced. These types of labor video documentaris are not being produced at PBS/NPR or the commerical networks. It will require independent labor video/radio producers to put these documentaries out.
Videos can also play an important role in exposing the problems within the US labor movement. When thousands of bay area carpenters struck over a concession contract, the Labor Video Project produced "Putting Down The Tools" about their strike and the need for union democracy. This was shown to carpenters around the country and the documentary included TV new coverage of this unusal event. The last such wildcat strike was in 1974.
Labor videographers in the US are also looking to build strong links with labor videographers around the world. In part through the efforts of labor videographers in the US, Turkey is now developing a labor video network.
In fact the development of labor video is an international task. The global battle against the muti-nationals of the world requires a high degree of collaboration of labor video/communicators worldwide.
The need to integrate and incorporate labor video/radio with labor culture and the arts is also a critical task. The Labor Video Project is now working with LaborFest, an annual labor cultural arts festival in San Francisco starting July 5 to get labor culture and arts on the web. Plans are being organized to use their site (www.laborfest.net) to stream labor poetry, music and songs on the site as well as a moving labor mural. The integration of the arts with labor video and radio can play an important role in building not only viewship but raising the level of concsciousness of working people.
Despite the many difficulties, labor videographers and labor communciators are taking on these struggles.