A grandfathers story-telling unfolds the history of West Virginias labor unions and underlines the significance of Labor Day through an easy-to-understand documentary,Labor in the Mountains, co-produced by the West Virginia University Extension Service.

The 55-minute documentary draws on the Appalachian story-telling tradition to bring the past to life as a retired coal minera fictional characterreveals his insights to his attentive granddaughter.

The video is the product of a collaboration among several West Virginia labor unions and the Institute for Labor Studies and Research of the Extension Service. During the documentarys production, the Labor in the Mountains Foundation was formed.

A variety of groupsespecially teachersare using the video because it provides a comprehensive history of labor in West Virginia before, during and after the formation of labor unions.

In the two-part video, the grandfather explains labor unions and their importance to West Virginia communities. The second part of the video contains interviews with labor leaders who discuss current implications for West Virginias labor unions.

The fictional characters are played by Harry E. Lester, a recently retired director of District 2, United Steel Workers of America, and Elizabeth Lester, Harrys granddaughter. A Michigan resident, Lester is a native of Bud (Wyoming County),W.Va.

In the video, Lester portrays a retired coal miner and member of the United Mine Workers of America. Throughout the first part of the documentary, the grandfather sits on his front porch with his granddaughter while he tells his story.

Lester begins with 1860. He explains the role union workers played in the formation of West Virginia during the Civil War. Then he tells his granddaughter how unions demanded better treatment during the Great Uprising and General Strike in 1877.

Thecoal minerdescribes the trials and tribulations of the coal mining industry and how miners sought justice and fair treatment during the late 19th and 20th centuries.

Eventually, they formed the United Mine Workers of America.

As workers in the coal mining industry organized their union, workers in other industries in West Virginia followed their lead.

We workers had to stand together in order to deal with bosses,Lesters character says.They sign the paychecks, and that gives them power over our lives. We had to stand up to our bosses as a single group.

The miners organized the United Mine Workers Union and stood together, forcing mine owners to stop making shortcuts and increase mine safety, he says. Better pay and benefits resulted from the unions power.

The second half of the video focuses on current labor conditions affecting West Virginia.

As deindustrialization arrived in West Virginia, organized labor shifted into service-providing jobs and into the public sector at the state, local and federal government levels. The video features union leaders who discuss situations affecting working families now and in the immediate future.

The video is available on DVD or VHS for $5. Order forms can be downloaded by visiting the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations Web site (www.wvaflcio.org/misc/labor_in_the_mountains.html).

For more information or to order a video by phone, contact the WVU Extension Services Institute for Labor Studies and Research at 304-293-3323 or 800-499-0486.