''Taylor Chain'' I & II are a pair of documentary films, produced by

Kartemquin FIlms Kartemquin Films is a four-time Oscar-nominated 501(c)3 non-profit production company located in Chicago, Illinois, that produces a wide range of documentary films. It is the documentary filmmaking home of acclaimed producers such as Gordon Quinn ( ...

, that first examine a seven-week workers' strike at a

Hammond, Indiana Hammond ( ) is a city in Lake County, Indiana. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area, and the only city in Indiana to border Chicago. First settled in the mid-19th century, it is one of the oldest cities of northern Lake County. As of the ...

, chain manufacturing plant and then follow the

collective bargaining Collective bargaining is a process of negotiation between employers and a group of employees aimed at agreements to regulate working salaries, working conditions, benefits, and other aspects of workers' compensation and rights for workers. The i ...

process of the same plant one decade later. Originally released by Kartemquin as two separate short documentaries in 1980 and 1984, ''Taylor Chain I & II'' were released together to show how the decade-long

labor movement The labour movement or labor movement consists of two main wings: the trade union movement (British English) or labor union movement (American English) on the one hand, and the political labour movement on the other. * The trade union movement ...

was affected by the

recession In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction when there is a general decline in economic activity. Recessions generally occur when there is a widespread drop in spending (an adverse demand shock). This may be triggered by various ...

and anti-union legislation of the early 1980s. ''Taylor Chain I: The Story in a Union Local'' begins in the 1970s, as workers at the Taylor Chain manufacturing plant begin negotiations with management for a new contract. Cameras go from the factory floor into the union hall, as workers both young and old argue about stipulations within proposed contracts. The negotiations lead to a seven-week strike, as the union takes to the

picket line A picket line is a horizontal rope along which horses are tied at intervals. The rope can be on the ground, at chest height (above the knees, below the neck) or overhead. The overhead form is usually called a high line. A variant of a high l ...

. Eventually, both sides make concessions and the workers return to work. ''Taylor Chain II: The Story of Collective Bargaining'' begins ten years later, in the early 1980s, as both workers and management are attempting to save the plant as recession and

globalization Globalization, or globalisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is the process of interaction and integration among people, companies, and governments worldwide. The term ''globalization'' first appeared in the early 20t ...

have reduced the factory's

workforce The workforce or labour force is a concept referring to the Pooling (resource management), pool of human beings either in employment or in unemployment. It is generally used to describe those working for a single types of companies, company or ...

drastically. The union and management sit across from one another in a Holiday Inn conference room, trying to come to a compromise that will both save the plant as well as take care of the workforce. In the end, the two sides come to an agreement, but it is not enough to save Taylor Chain from closure. Directed by Jerry Blumenthal and

Gordon Quinn Gordon Quinn is Artistic Director and founding member of Kartemquin Films and a 2007 recipient of the MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions. Gordon Quinn has been making documentaries for over 45 years and has produced or dire ...

, ''Taylor Chain I'' was the winner of the 1980 William Friedkin Award at the

Chicago International Film Festival The Chicago International Film Festival is an annual film festival held every fall. Founded in 1964 by Michael Kutza, it is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America. Its logo is a stark, black and white close up of the comp ...

. Also directed by Blumenthal and Quinn, ''Taylor Chain II'' won the First Award at the 1985 International Labor Communications Association Film & Broadcast Competition. Broadcast on public television, ''Taylor Chain I & II'' have been praised for their realistic glimpse into the lives of blue-collar workers.Independent Critic
Propes, Richard. The Independent Critic. Retrieved 21 January 2011.

References

External links

''Taylor Chain I: A Story In a Union Local'' Official Site

''Taylor Chain II: The Story of Collective Bargaining'' Official Site

Kartemquin Films
* * {{Kartemquin Films American documentary films Documentary films about labor relations in the United States Films shot in Chicago Kartemquin Films films