Norma Rae Webster is a minimum-wage worker in a cotton mill that has taken too much of a toll on the health of her family for her to ignore her Dickensian working conditions. After hearing a speech by New York union organizer Reuben Warshowsky, Norma Rae decides to join the effort to unionize her shop. This causes conflict at home when Norma Rae's husband Sonny assumes that her activism is a result of a romance between herself and Reuben. Despite the pressure brought to bear by management, Norma Rae successfully orchestrates an election to unionize the factory, resulting in victory for the union and presumably capitulation for the demands. When Reuben first comes to the factory he tries to get all the workers to start a union, but is soon chased out of the small town. Days later, Norma Rae shuts down her machine and stands on top of her work table striking. Soon the whole factory is with her and a union starts.
Back in the day, companies like the one depicted in this movie, abused and mistreated their workers. In many ways, they were slaves, working for pennies while management lived like kings. Unions helped correct this wrong by organizing workers against the company. This was a very good move because it forced companies to do the right thing. Back then, there was very little justice.
Unions were needed back then to remind owners and managers that the working class deserve better.
But I'm not so sure unions are needed today.
