Union Maids facts for kids

Union Maids is a documentary film made in 1976. It was directed by Jim Klein, Julia Reichert, and Miles Mogulescu. This film shares the real-life stories of three women from Chicago. They played a big part in the history of workers' rights in the United States.

The movie was even nominated for an Academy Award. This is a very important award for films. It was nominated for the Best Documentary Feature award. The film's stories came from a book called Rank and File. This book was written by Staughton Lynd and Alice Lynd. It tells about the history of workers and their unions.

Meet the Women of the Film

The documentary features three amazing women. They share their experiences and memories.

• Kate Hyndman
• Stella Nowicki
• Sylvia Woods

How the Film Was Made

Creating a Documentary Together

Julia Reichert, one of the directors, liked to work in a special way. She believed in a "collaborative" style. This means everyone on the team worked together as equals. There was no strict boss telling everyone what to do. This helped the filmmakers and the women in the film work closely.

Filming with Video Technology

The filmmakers, Julia Reichert and Jim Klein, chose to shoot Union Maids using video cameras. This was different from using traditional film. Video allowed them to record longer interviews. This meant the three women could share more of their stories. They could also help shape how their stories were told in the movie.

Using video also had another benefit. It allowed them to work with student camera operators. The directors could watch the video live as it was being recorded. This way, they could give tips and directions right away. This saved money because they didn't waste expensive film.