Final Offer is the most comprehensive and candid look at collective bargaining on film. It takes viewers on an eye-opening journey behind the closed doors and into the smoke-filled rooms where labor and management negotiate.

The filmmakers follow Bob White, president of the Canadian UAW, through the landmark auto strike at General Motors. We look on as White strategizes with his advisors, fields the angry demands of his members, and makes offers, threats and counter-offers during marathon bargaining sessions. We share the caffeine-frayed nerves, the mind-numbing exhaustion and the salty language which are the stuff of collective bargaining.

The filmmakers also gained unrestricted access to GM's plants. They vividly capture the daily shopfloor skirmishes and tensions which comprise the subtext of labor negotiations. Remarkably, the filmmakers are even present when White and the chief GM negotiator strike a deal while riding the elevator.

Final Offer gives those on both sides of the table an intimate understanding of the hidden pressures which shape any labor negotiation.




Media at Work

"The best collective bargaining film ever made. Extremely informative and thorough. A captivating movie that points out the issues of the day."
-- Henry Katz, Cornell University

"Strap on your seatbelts. This backstage look at the GM contract talks has more intrigue, back-stabbing and double- crossing than Dallas or Dynasty. Don't miss it."
-- The Toronto Sun

"Vividly portrays the tension between company and union, and even within the union. Recommended for college and business management collections."
-- Choice

"Might as well have been titled A Star is Born. White's a working-class hero who combines Robert Redford's appeal with impeccable union credentials."
-- Business Week

Producer: National Film Board of Canada
Director: Sturla Gunnarsson
78 minutes, 1985

Video Purchase: $195
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