Estaban Chavez Jr., died in 2022 just after delivering his final package for UPS of the day in extreme Los Angeles heat. Chavez had just turned 24.
At that point, UPS workers across the nation worked up to 14 hour shifts and six days a week. Many truck drivers reported driving without functioning air conditioners and temperatures up to 150°. A strike was imminent.
After catching wind of Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien’s campaign for negotiations, director Yael Bridge expected a strike to be the center of her documentary “Who Moves America”.
But when it never came to fruition, she found a new heart: combining the past with the present. Bridge’s documentary blended 2023’s activism with archival 1997 national UPS strike footage to show the history of workers fighting for better wages and working conditions.
The film opens with camcorder strike footage from ‘97, before ever stepping foot in 2023. The archival footage adds a more personal touch to the historical points of the movie, allowing viewers to truly visualize what a 2023 strike may have looked like, building the stakes for the probable strike.
Bridge follows the International Brotherhood of Teamsters as they negotiated with UPS to prevent what could have been the largest strike against an employer in history.
There is no central character in this film. Instead, the documentary follows various UPS employees across the nation — some of whom are heavily involved in Teamsters’ work, and some who simply voted for or against the strike when the time came.
While this is a movie about labor, family is intertwined throughout, documenting how working conditions impact a person even after they clock out. Seeing their kids, pets and homes helps the viewers empathize with teamsters in a way headlines never could.
The film’s emphasis on the longevity of activism, and how the work one does now impacts the life of those in the future, was a nuanced addition to common coverage of 2023.
Bridge followed some long-term UPS workers who were present during the ‘97 national strike, highlighting the temporary nature of labor negotiations. Throughout the film, Bridge included written timestamps until the worker’s contract expired.
After negotiations went through, the countdown restarted showing the new five-year contract expiration. Bridge’s reset to “260 weeks until contract expires”, depicts how labor negotiations are never truly finalized and will always impact future UPS employees.
For anyone who has received a package from UPS, heard a UPS plane fly over their house or seen the brown truck drive down their street, this film shows the hard work, dedication and sacrifice that keeps UPS alive.
You can keep up with The Maneater’s 2026 True/False Film Fest coverage here.
