On August 24, I rode with hospital workers attending the 50th anniversary of the historic 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The bus ride seemed to be shortened for us by watching Salt of the Earth. I have seen this film many times, but this group of mainly black women hospital workers, who are fighting their hospital shutdowns, was simply the best audience I have watched it with.
As the film plot developed, Ramon and other men’s sexism were greeted with jeers in the bus. As the men stopped work, ignored their bosses’ demand that they return to work and set up their picket line, cheers of approval rocked the bus. Hoots of anger greeted the injunction to limit the strikers’ picket line. As Esperanza and the women took over picket duty and showed their ability to lead the struggle, approval was heard over and over. In fact the movie hadn’t ended as we reached RFK stadium and groans were heard as the bus captain started making announcements. On the ride back to NYC, a tired group watched the end of the movie and took a well-deserved rest after a grueling day.
One reason we showed this film was to help overcome the divisions in the three hospital struggles in Brooklyn. Workers are looking at their “own” hospital as most important. Each union acts as if the struggle affects only their members and makes deals allowing for layoffs, service cuts and closings. They urge workers to rely on politicians to “save” us rather than using the power of our class to fight back.
Although seemingly dated in its black-and-white format and old cars, Salt of the Earth is powerful as it shows workers fighting sexism, the need to fight racism and nationalism, the role of the police and courts, the limitation of simple bread-and-butter trade unionism, and much, much more. Directed by one of the blacklisted pro-communist Hollywood Ten and banned for years in the U.S., this film offers many opportunities for us to discuss with our friends the wide-ranging reasons why capitalism needs to be overthrown with communist revolution.
Red Glasses