Union Town

Documentary

★ Shortlisted by Mitch Allen

Programme: TIFF Docs
Year: 2026
Runtime: 106 min
Country: United States of America
Language: Spanish / English
Premiere: North American Premiere

Set against the backdrop of New York City, the film follows delivery industry workers as they take on some of the world s most powerful corporate giants, touching on the challenges, joys and human elements that make this movement possible.

From the TIFF programme

Barbara Kopple (TIFF ’76’s Harlan County, U.S.A.) looks at three crucial labour battles as they unfold in New York City involving workers from UPS, Amazon, and deliveristas for DoorDash and GrubHub.

Union Town is an invigorating look at three crucial labour battles as they unfold in New York City during the past three years. They involve the workers of UPS, Amazon, and the deliveristas for the food apps DoorDash and GrubHub. Each group has slightly different battles, but by winding their stories together, we see a shared struggle. “This is going to be the most important battle for the next 25 years,” says Vinnie Perrone, President of the Teamsters Local 804 as he rallies UPS workers to brace themselves for a possible strike.

The film rounds out an extraordinary trilogy by director Barbara Kopple that started with her debut documentary about striking Appalachian mine workers, Harlan County, U.S.A (that played at the Festival in its first year). She returned to labor struggles for her second film American Dream, about meat packers in Minnesota. Both works demonstrated Kopple’s deep empathy for working people and her doggedness to follow the story wherever it goes.

In Union Town, she captures indelible portraits among the delivery workers who transport 2.4 million packages and 300,000 meals every day in New York City — no matter if the weather is blizzarding or blazing. Over the course of several years, Kopple follows three campaigns for better pay and conditions. Lined up in opposition are corporations that spend millions to bully and undermine the union efforts. The intimidation is fierce, but as one organizer reminds her comrades, “We shouldn’t be fearful of demanding what we deserve.” This film is a testament to their courage.

THOM POWERS