Harlan County U.S.A.
The Brookside Mine of the Eastover Mining Company in Harlan County, Kentucky, was the site of a coal miners' strike in June 1973, which was documented in this documentary. During the strike that lasted more than a year and included violent clashes between gun-toting company thugs/scabs and the picketing miners and their supportive female colleagues, Eastover refused to sign a contract with the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), which led to the strike. Director Barbara Kopple puts the strike in context by providing some background on the miners' historical predicament as well as the history of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA).
Released: 1976-10-15
Genre:
Documentary