A sweeping movie musical bringing to life the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike, when 30,000 private and public sector workers shut down their city for six weeks, will be widely available soon — but IBEW members get to see it first.
A special IBEW edition of “Stand!” is available for a limited run at a lower price for members to stream between Friday, March 19, and Easter Sunday, April 4.
With drama and song, “Stand!” immortalizes the workers whose courage changed labor history. While violent strike-breakers ultimately crushed their peaceful walkout, it set the stage for workplace rights and reforms in Canada and helped inspire union activism around the world.
The acclaimed movie was featured in the Electrical Worker last November as it prepared to make its U.S. debut, a year after premiering in Canada to mark the strike’s 100th anniversary.
International President Lonnie R. Stephenson described “Stand!” as a “powerful film about the power of solidarity that that crosses lines of ethnicity, race, class and gender.”
He recalled meeting with the producers when the film was still on the drawing board. “They said they were going to make the new Norma Rae-meets-Hamilton,” he said. “I think you’ll agree they succeeded.”
The exclusive IBEW offer that begins Friday includes a welcome from President Stephenson and a pre-recorded Q&A session afterwards with the moviemakers and cast.
For the discounted price of $7.99, you’ll get a three-day window to watch Stand! as many times as you like. Pre-orders are available now.
“Stand!” was filmed with an all-union cast and crew in Winnipeg, the provincial capital of Manitoba. Its historic downtown buildings and cobblestone streets are increasingly popular with filmmakers looking for early-20th authenticity.
Screenwriter, composer and co-producer Danny Schur had planned to introduce “Stand!” to union members in the United States with a one-night watch party in theaters nationwide last Dec. 1. But the pandemic derailed most showings.
Starting May 1, “Stand!” will be fully available in the United States and Canada vis On Demand, but without the discount or bonus content.
While the film is steeped in labor history, Stephenson said viewers will feel a clear connection to the present.
“The Winnipeg General Strike happened a century ago, but it speaks powerfully to our struggles today,” he said. “Its lessons are just as relevant now as they were then.”
Click here to purchase and stream “Stand!” for yourself or as a gift at any time between Friday March 19 and Sunday April 4.