Norma Rae Leadership

Abstract

Norma Rae is a true story set in a Southern mill-town in the summer of 1978. Norma Rae and the mill workers were victimized by the mill owners - low, unfair wages, and poor health conditions from the work in the textile mill. During this time Norma was fearful for her family's health and becomes aware of a labor organizer trying to bring the union to the mill. Norma decides to join forces with the union organizer, Reuben Warshosky. Management saw her as a threat and ordered her out of the mill, but not before she inspired the mill workers.  It is greatt leadership that finally brings the mill workers together and they vote in and start a branch of the Textile Workers Union of America. The film is a real testament to the transformation of an oppressed woman who was a follower and then become a leader.

The story of Norma Rae is based on an actual event, it tells how a fast talking, middle class union organizer named Reuben Warshovsky comes to a small souther mill town to organize a branch of the textil workers union. The textile mill O.J. Henley Plant was run with low, unfair wages, and unhealthy working conditions. In the beginning Reuben wasn't having any luck and through his struggle with the mill workers he inspired one worker Norma Rae and she joined forces with Reuben. Norma was a tough, southern middle class working woman who felt stick in her ho hum drab extistence. She has a love-hate relationship with her father Vernon, who was overprotective of Norma. She was trapped with a job going no where and two teenage children. She has very little time for anything else but with Reuben's prodding finally joins him in his efforts to bring a textile workers union to the mill. He was horrified by their working conditions and pay.

Norma is not just about union organizing she is very concerned with the class struggle and class solidarity of the mill workers. The growing relationship of Reuben and Norma is not just a personal relationship but shows how the dynamics of class culture ande class struggle are highlighted through these two individuals lives. While Reuben is more sophisticated and not from the working class culture Norma is, he is extremely sympathic to their plight. In some ways Reuben sees himself as one of them. Reuben doesn't use his intellectual to hoard over the workers, and Norma isn't at all intimidated by Reuben.

At one point Norma tells Reuben about her sexual escapades. her first affair and the fact she lost her virginity in the back of a Cadillac with her legs hanging out the window. Reuben in turns tells Norma he lost his virginity by being seduced by his music teacher. Norma then says she sleeps with traveling salesmen, gets married for the second time, and cavorts with her friends at local bars. He then tells her he sleeps with a Harvard attorney and reads the Sunday New York Times with her.

Back at the mill Norma sees a racist leaflet put on the bulletin board for management. Management is trying to incite the white mill workers. Norma calls Reuben to ask what she should do. He responds by correcting Norma's grammar. Reuben admires Norma's courage and discipline. Reuben is at the entrance to the mill passing out flyers, Norma passes him and tells him he is using too many big words. As their relationship grows you can see the gap bridged between intellual Rueben and the working class Norma. Norma and Reuben form a friendship that moves beyond a sexual relationship, they actually listen to each other. Although they have a nonsexual relationship they are comfortable enough to sleep in the same room and swim nude. They have an electric attraction but are well aware of the own limits. They come from different worlds.