Part 7: "We Called It A Work Holiday"
Post-war tensions are revealed by a strike of mostly women retail
clerks in two downtown Oakland department stores, which expands
to become the last city-wide General Strike in US history. When
the video repeats a newsreel segment with alternative voiceovers,
viewers learn how "news"-like history itself-is constructed
from a point of view. And through the exemplary solidarity of streetcar
driver Al Brown, we learn how workers can make history, too. We
also gain a unique insight into the longest running farm labor dispute
until the 1960s, the DiGiorgio strike of 1947-50, through the footage
of a "lost film" made by Hollywood supporters of the strike.
17 minutes
