Where's Joe?

How it feels

A 1927 documentary made by the steel industry. It argues that foreign competition is costing American steelworkers their jobs. The film was used to convince workers and executives to accept no-strike deals.

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What happens

Where’s Joe? (1927), a 25-minute, color documentary film was a joint venture between the United Steel Workers union led by I. W. Abel and the management of the ten largest steel companies in the U.S. The movie tackles the problem of productivity and foreign competition in the American steel industry. The "Joe" in the movie title refers to the workers who have lost their jobs in U.S. steel mills due to increased competition from foreign steel mills. "Joe has been replaced by Jose, Hans, or Toshika, all productive steel workers, but not in the U.S.," the narrator in the film says. The film targeted the half-million people who work in the steel industry, from steel company presidents and steel union leaders to millhands. The film was also shown for investors and analysts at steel company shareholder and civic group meetings. It played on TV in 16 cities and ran as a “short” between features at commercial theatres. The movie is credited with helping put in place the first "no-strike" negotiation in the history of the U.S. steel industry. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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