One Day Longer: The Story of the Frontier Strike

Since this documentary was commissioned by the AFL-CIO, it isn't surprising that it is a rousing, heart-tugging, partisan film about the triumphant resolution to one of the longest strikes in U.S. history. The strike began when workers--mostly culinary and hotel laborers--walked off their jobs at the Frontier Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas in 1991, objecting to the way Margaret Elardi and her son Tom treated them (cutting wages, eliminating health insurance, etc.), embarking on a bitter battle that would last six years and four months, until a new owner negotiated a settlement in 1998. Through interviews with strikers and union supporters, Amie Williams' One Day Longer offers viewers an inside look at how such a prolonged job outage affects workers (after the initial euphoria, "the weight of the world is back on you," one worker explains). The strikers suffered harassment and attacks from drunken passersby, but they also tried to stop people from crossing the picket lines to enter the hotel. At a time when unions were moribund, the Frontier strike provided a much-needed rallying point for union supporters across the country, reminding them of what unions could really accomplish. Despite its one-sided presentation (there is no attempt to interview those from the other side, who appear as evil buffoons), the story is indeed inspirational, and it offers evidence that unions can provide much-needed support for oppressed workers. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (M. Pendergrast)