A cargo ship and a van packed with people in the wee hours of the morning are the opening images of “Union,” premiering at Sundance on Sunday. After the van makes its way to its destination, the Amazon logo, which has become as embedded in our culture as Nike, Coca-Cola, and other American-made corporate giants, becomes visible in the distance followed by a rocket headed for space with Amazon head Jeff Bezos aboard.
With these images, directors Brett Story and Stephen Maing attempt to frame the main conflict as a battle between the haves and have-nots as they document the pandemic-era unionization movement by Staten Island New York City Amazon workers.