 Or shall I begin my story that has no beginning? In these arroyos, my great grandfather raised cattle before the Anglos ever came. The roots go deep in this place, deeper than the pines, deeper than the mineshafts. This is my village. When I was a child, it was called San Marcos. The Anglos changed the name to Zinc Town. Zinc Town, New Mexico. This is our home. The house is not ours. But the flowers. The flowers are ours. My name is Esperanza. Esperanza Quintero. I am a miner's wife. 18 years my husband has given to that mine, living half his life with dynamite and darkness. The land where the mine now stands, that was owned by my husband's own grandfather. Now it belongs to the company. Who can say when it began my story? I do not know. But this day I remember as the beginning of an end. It was my saint's day. I was 35 years old, a day of celebration. And I was seven months gone with my third child. And on that day I remember I had a wish. A thought so sinful, a thought so evil, that I prayed to the virgin to forgive me for it. I wished, I wished that my child would never be born. No, nothing to this world. Are you sick, mama? No, Estelita. Are you sad? Are we going to church for your confession? Late. When I see my child. Fighting again with those Anglo kids. Oh, they think they're tough. But you promised me you wouldn't. Papa says if an Anglo makes funny, it'll let him have it. Never mind what you, Papa. Hold still. Does it hurt? Come the cake. Never mind the cake. Go get your father when he comes soft-shift. Tell him to come straight home. Trouble, Quintero. Defective hues? Well, you're all in one piece, so what's the beef? You know the beef. This new rule of yours that we work alone. We're taking it up with the super. Super's busy with your negotiating committee. So much the better. Now, wait a minute. Super's the one made the rule. He ain't going to give you no help. Well, if he wants us to go on blasting, read your contract, or get somebody to read it for you. You don't say nothing about no help. Listen, Mr. Barton, there's blood in that mine. The blood of my friends, all because they have to work alone. That's how you get splattered over the rocks when there's nobody to have to check your teeth. And nobody to warn the other men to stay clear. Warning's a shift foreman's job. Foreman wants to get the ore out. Miner wants to get his brothers out in one piece. You work alone, Savvy. You can't handle a job. I'll find someone who can. Who was cab? An American. Mama. Not to worry about the cake here. Papa, is there going to be a strike? Ramon, I don't like to bother you, but the story they say that if we don't make another payment on the ready this month, they'll come and take it away. We are only one payment behind. I argued with her. It isn't right. It isn't right, she says. Was it right that we bought this? This instrument? But you had to have it, didn't you? It was so nice to listen to. I listen to it every night when you're out of the beer partner. No money down. Easy turn payment. I tell you something, this installment plan, it's a curse of the working man. Where are you going? Gotta talk to the brothers. This water's cold again. I'm sorry the fire's gone out. Forget it. Forget it? I chubbled for the stove five times a day, every time I remember. I remember that across the cracks, the anglomiders had hot water in pipes and bathrooms, inside. Do you think I like living this way? What do you want of it? But if your union, if you're asking for better conditions, why can't you ask for decent plumbing too? We did. Got lost in the shop. What? We can't get everything at once. Right now, we have more important demands. What's more important than sanitation? Safety of the men. That's more important. Five accidents this week, all because of speed up. You're a woman. You don't know what it's like up there. First, we got to get equality on the job. Then we'll work on these other things. Give it to the men. I see. The men, your strike may be for your demands, but what wives want, that comes later, always later. Now, don't you start talking against the union again. That has it got me, your union. Esperanza, have you forgotten what it was like before the union came when Estella was a baby and we couldn't even afford a doctor when she was sick? It was for our families we met in graveyards to build that union. All right, have your strike. I'll have my baby. But no hospital will take me because I'll be a strike as well. The store will cut off our credit and the kids will go hungry. We'll get behind on the payments again. Then they'll come and take away their radio. Is that all you care about? That radio? Can't you think of anything except yourself? If I think of myself, it's because you never think of me. You never think of me. Stop it. The children are watching. Stop it. The problem, it has to be taken care of. The company will always tell you those things. We know it's not safe for miners to work alone. But they don't work alone in other mines. Anglo's always working there. So why should I risk my life? Because I'm a Mexican? That's in the demands. We're negotiating. Three months of negotiations. Nothing happens. Even with brother Barnes here from the international, what have we got? No race, no senority, no safety code, nothing. Take a drink. Calmate. I say we've got to take action, now. The rest of the men feel the way you do. He talked for all of us. Did you ever stop to think maybe they watered us to strike? I don't want no strike. But we're the war boom on. Then why is the company hanging tough? They signed contracts with the other locals. Why not this one? Because most of us here are Mexican-American. Because we want equality with Anglo miners. The same pay, same conditions. Exactly. And equality's the one thing the bosses can't afford. The biggest club they have over the Anglo locals is, well, at least you get more than the Mexicans. OK. So discrimination hurts the Anglo too. But it hurts me more. And I've had enough of it. But you don't fully strike when the bosses want it, so they can smash your union. You wait till you're ready so you can win. Do the bosses wait? No sanitation. For my kids, get's sake. Do the company doctor wait? 20 bucks. So we missed one payment on the radio I bought from the weather. Does the company store wait? They always take it away. Why is the boss's store in such a hurry? They're trying to scare us, that's why. To make us afraid to move, to hang on to what we've got and like it. Well, I don't like it. And I'm not scared. And I'm fed up to hear. Hey, Ramon, who's gone? Something wrong with Mama? I thought maybe you forgot. Forgot what? It's Mama Sainte's day. He can't wait. It's my wife Sainte's day. I was going to ask you brothers, how about a manganita, huh? What time? Well, a manganita, the later the better. Antonio paid for it. Mr. Sainte never thought of me. I did forget. Luis told me. All the next week I kept thinking about my manganita. I had never had so nice a party. It was like a song running through my mind. A day dreamed to lighten the long day's work. One, two, three. We all forgot our troubles at the manganita, even Ramon. I couldn't dance that night. Not in my condition. But I wasn't really jealous when he danced with the others because it was so good just to see him smile again. And then one morning I was hanging out my wash. And while we were talking, the ladies came. They were a kind of delegation. It was about the sanitation, they said. The Anglo miners have bathrooms and hot running water. I shouldn't we. I know. I spoke to Ramon about it. Only we could go. He said they dropped it from the union demands. He is lo de siempre. We've got to make him understand. Make the man face up. Show her the sign. We'll make a lot of signs like this and we'll get all the wives together and go right up to the mine. To the mine? Sure. Whether they're negotiating in the company office will go up there and pick at the place. Then both sides will see women in business. A picket line of ladies? Sure. Why not? You can count me in. Lose. Listen, we ought to be in a woodchopper's union. Chop wood for breakfast, chop wood, wash his clothes, chop wood, eat the iron chop wood, scrub floors, chop wood, cook his dinner. And do you know what he will say when he comes home? What have you been doing all day, reading funny papers? Come on, Esperanza, how about it? We've got to. No, no. I can't. If Ramon ever found me in a picket line, he'd what, beat you? No, no. How did this happen? They wandered into a drift when that cell was blasted. I told you it would happen. It's bound to happen when a man works alone. Why did you give the man a warning signal? Your foreman said that's a foreman's job. I checked the drift just before he blasted. It was all clear. The man must have been asleep or something. You weren't even there. You were back at the station. Kalensky told me. You're live, aren't you? And no good, dirty. Hold on yourself. The man's been hurt. I'm sorry about it as you are, Savvy. Accidents are costly to everyone, but to the company most of all. I see no reason to treat the occasion like a paid holiday. Suppose we all get back to work. Martin? All right, fellas. The excitement's over. Let's get to it. What are they saying? No, Savvy. Barnes, what about it? Tell them how to get back to work. They don't work for me. I work for them. Luis, it's up to you, brothers. C, C, C, C, C, C, C, C, C, C, C, C. The men held a union meeting just to make the walk out official. It didn't take them long. They voted to strike 93 to 5. And Teresa said, now was the time for us to go in. I didn't want to. I had never been to a union meeting. But the others said, one go, all go. Tenemos varios agravios hermanos y muchas demandas. Pero todo esto se puede traer a un punto básico, la igualdad. The meeting was nearly over when we came in. Charlie Vidal was making a speech. He said there was only one issue in this strike, equality. But the mine owners would stop at nothing to keep them from getting equality. He said the bosses would try to split the Anglo and Mexican-American workers and offer rewards to one man if he would sell out his brother. Hermanos, solamente hay una defensa contra de esta táctica. Y esto es unidad. La unidad de todos los hombres trabajadores. You ladies have an announcement? We have not an announcement. I guess only the ladies wanted me to. Louder! Consuelo, will you speak from over here? The ladies have been talking about sanitation. And we were thinking, if the issue is equality, like you say it is, then maybe we ought to have equality. In plumbing, too. I mean, maybe we could make it a strike to make. Some of the ladies thought it might be a good idea to have a ladies' auxiliary. Well, we'd like to help out if we can. I think I can speak for all the brothers in saying we appreciate the ladies offering to help. But it's getting late, and I suggest that we table it. The chair will entertain a motion to adjourn. I shall move. Second. All those in favor? Aye. Approach. So ordered. Why didn't you support her? You're the worst of them all. But Teresa, you can't push these things too fast. You were pushing all right, pushing us right back in our place. Why didn't you check this thing with me? It's embarrassing. At least you didn't make a fool of yourself like Consuelo. It's not a bad idea to make sanitation one of our demands. But honey, why don't you just put a sign outside? No dogs, no women allowed. So it began, much like any other strike. There would be no settlement, the company said, till the men returned to their jobs. But the back to work movement didn't work. And so the company recruited a few strike breakers from out of town. But they usually lost their nerve. And they saw the size of the picket line. The sheriff's men were always there. They stood around showing off their weapons. But the men only marched day after day, week after week. At first, it was an unwritten rule that the women stay at home. The Union gave us rations, and we had to figure out how to feed our families on them. But then one morning, Mrs. Alassar went to the picket line. Her husband had been killed in a strike many years before, and she wanted to be there. Nobody remembers just how it happened. But one day, Mrs. Alassar started marching with them, and she kept on marching with them. After a while, some of the women began to bring coffee for their husbands, and maybe a couple of tacos, because a man gets tired and hungry on picket duty. It was about that time that the Union decided maybe they'd better set up a lady's auxiliary after all. I didn't come to the lines at first. My time was near, and besides, Ramon didn't approve. But Ramon is a man who loves good coffee, and he swore that the other ladies made it taste like zinc sludge. So one day, I made the coffee. Don Pleto, haven't seen him for three days now. Listen to this. Chief Foreman come to me last night saying he'd make a shift foreman out of me. If I start back to work movement, Jenkins, why strangle along with him to Molly? I just said I couldn't lock to Molly's fine. Ha, ha, ha, ha. Those calves got thrown the other side of the hill. We chased the rest back. Recognize them? Anglos from out of town. But they're not miners, I could tell that. They don't know it's zinc from Chinola. OK, take five, get yourself a cup of coffee. Hey, Ramon, here comes the super. Well, those new fellas, you hired them out of town. We brought them up here by truck this morning. They took one look at that picket line and turned tail. They don't look so rough to me. Well, Mr. Hartwell, they've got some pretty tough hombres there, especially that picket captain there. What's his name, Ray? Raymond, something or other. Oh, yes, I know that one. That's their main picket line. They have another post on the back road, roving patrols all over the place. Go on company property. Why don't you have them thrown off? There's all company property, Mr. Hartwell. The store, the housing area, everything. Where are you going to throw them? And who does the throwing? Well, are they going to let us pass? Eventually. This is just a little ritual to impress us with their power. Now, why don't you let this gentleman pass? Don't you know who's in that car? It's the Baymaster from Mass Guy with our gold. No, no. It's the president of the company himself. Come all the way out here to make Jenkins, General Manager. So why are you acting with me? Childish. Well, they're like children in many ways. Sometimes you have to humor them. Sometimes you have to spank them. And sometimes you have to take their food away. Well, here comes the one that we're talking about. He's quite a character. Claims his grandfather once owned the land where the mine is now. Want to go up to your office, Mr. Alexander? Naturally. You think I'd park here for a cup of coffee? You're welcome to one. No, thanks. The man would like to know who this gentleman is. That's none of their affair. It's all right. It's no secret. My name's Hartwell. I'm from the company's Eastern office. You mean Delaware? No, New York. New York? You're not the company president by any chance? No. Too bad. The men have always wanted to take a look at the president. You come out here to settle the strike. Well, if that's possible. That's possible. Just negotiate. Are we talking to a union spokesman? Not exactly. But I wish he were one. He knows more about mining than those pie cards we've had to deal with. I mean it. I know your work record. You were in line for a foreman when this trouble started. Did you know that? I see you had a real future with this company. But you got those red stir you up, and now they'll sell you down the river. Why don't you wake up Ray? Huh? That's your name, isn't it, Ray? My name is Quintero. Mr. Quintero. Are you going to let us pass, or do I have to call the sheriff? There's nothing stopping you. I was wrong. They don't want Jenkins for general manager. They want me. Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! You should have heard that, fellow. What a line. I was up for a foreman, he says. Fijate. What's the matter? It's nothing. Just a little catch. Is that, Luis? What is he doing? Playing hooky again? You, Antonio Alfello, chente, come with me. You're out to be there in the line. Expected of an angle, yes. Come on, I'm in the jail. I had to get a job. You, who the? Black sucker. Come on, my kids. Two. Traizora tu gente, rompe, huelgas, desgraciado. You think my kids have enough to eat, you rat? I know he's wrong. Just let me go. I'll leave now. Just let me go. You think I was going to work you over? I wouldn't dirty my hands on your hands. Talk with you where you slugged that fella back there. But that's a lie, I didn't. Talk to a white man. If Hansa thought she said this bullfighter was full of pepper, don't look so peppery now. Over the years, he's full of chili this morning. Likes it hot. His jiquita makes it good and hot for him, don't you want some? Sheriff, we need a doctor quick. This woman's going to have a baby. You take me for an ambulance driver? There's a company doctor. We don't have a car if you just get him. You kidding? Company doctor won't come to no picket line. Give you all you life. I'm not going to pick up. Oh, God. For a kid in probation, this time will never be born. I'm not going to pick up. Ah! I'm not going to pick up. I'm not going to pick up. I'm not going to pick up. I'm not going to pick up. I'm not going to pick up. One was in the hospital for a week and then in the county jail for 30 days, charged with assault and resisting arrest. But I made up my mind to postpone the christening till he got out of jail. We christened him, Juan. That night we had a double celebration. Juanita's christening, Ramon's homecoming. We put all the children to sleep in the bedroom as usual and the men took over the parlour. In usual. $5,000. That beats. $10,000. God. All right. Let's see him. Jesus, Lord. Come to papa. Hear those deputies, log-tente. Yeah. There's been lots of provocation lately. They figure if they can lock up the leadership on some phony charge, maybe they can bust the strike. Are we going to let them play poker all night? I want to dance with whose husband? With any of them. Even my own. If you dance with my husband, you'll have to put up with this. And another thing, your attitude towards Anglos, if you're going to be a leader. What attitude? You lump them all together. Anglo-workers and anglo-bosses. He's a guest in my house, isn't he? You're even suspicious of him. Maybe. I think he's got a few things to learn about our people. Go on. Well, you're the organizer. You work out strike strategy, and most of the times you're dead right. When you figure everything the rank can pass to do down to the last detail, you don't give us anything to think about. Are you afraid we're too lazy to take initiative? You know I don't think that. Maybe not. But there's another thing, like when you came in tonight, I heard you ask your wife, who's that? His grandfather? That's Juarez, the father of Mexico. If I wouldn't know a picture of George Washington, you would say I was an awful dumb Mexican. I've never seen it fail. Try to give Ramon a friendly criticism, and he kicks you right back in your face. No, he's right. I've got a lot to learn. Now we've got that settled. Build a cart. Makes you feel any better. He's got even less use for women. What are they talking about in there? Disgusting each other's weaknesses. I didn't know they had any. Right now, Ramon's on the receiving end. If we shut out the women from the life of the union. Come on. Let's break up that game. We can't think of them just as housewives, but as partners. And we have to treat them as such. Well, look who's talking. A new world's champion of women's rights. We'll cut it out, Ruth. Me. I'm a camp follower. Following it's organizer from one mining camp to another. Montana, Colorado, Idaho. But does he ever think to organize the women? No. Wives don't count in the Anglo-Locals. Not that I like the way you treat your wife, Ramon. I think you're all wrong. But when Dr. Barnes here gives you his cure all for female problems. Just ask him if he's tried it at home. Hey, Esperanza. Esperanza's nursing the baby. There goes the game. Good. Consola, turn up the radio. Come on, Papa. On your feet. Drink Juanito. You'll never have it so good. He'll have it good. Someday. What were they saying about you in there? They say I'm not good to you. You are not good to me in jail. I'd line my cell and my cart and I couldn't sleep. With the bugs and the stink and the heat. And I'd say to myself, I'm not good to you. With the bugs and the stink and the heat. And I'd say to myself, think of something nice. Something beautiful. And then I'd think of you. And my heart would pound against the cart for love of you. Not just Juanito. You'll have it good too, Esperanza. We're going to win this strike. What makes you so sure? Because if we lose, we lose more than a strike. We lose the union. And the men know it. And if we win, we win more than a few demands. We win something bigger. Hope. Hope for our kids. Juanito can't grow strong on milk alone. Is this the control place? What do you want? We've got a court order. You can't come in here without a warrant. We've got the warrant too. We don't want no trouble. All we want is radio. We hate to break in on you folks like this, but this fellow in the radio store, he got himself a repossession order. Don't touch it. We don't want no trouble, like you can tell. We've got orders to repossess this machine. I said don't touch it. Let him take it. Over my dead body. I don't want your dead body. I don't want your fucking jail either. But it's yours. I won't let them. Can't you see they want to start a fight so they can lock you all up at one time? You thought that about it. Let's have some real music. But the strike did not end. It went on and on into the fourth month, the fifth, the sixth. The company still refused to negotiate. They tried to turn the Anglo-miners against us. They say that all Mexicans ought to be sent back where they came from. How can I go back where I come from? The check that I was born in is buried under company property. I don't know about the hotel. The bosses go back where they come from. There wouldn't be any bosses in the state of New Mexico if it did. The brother lived to see the day. Jenkins ain't no boss. You mean we're going to let people like Jenkins stay here? You can't send him back to Oklahoma. He would be in human. But I was born in Texas. Oh, no. That's even worse. And the seventh month came. We couldn't buy food at a company store. By now the strike fund was nearly gone. A few families couldn't take it any longer. And where they went, we do not know. And so it was decided by the union that hardship cases should seek work in other mines. And this was done. Strikers who found jobs divided their pay with the union so the rest of us might eat. Ramon was not a hardship case. Only three children to feed. Even so the mine owners might have started us out. Were it not for the help we got from the international in Denver and from other locals. And we, who thought no one outside our county knew of our troubles or cared if they didn't know how and we were wrong. Letters came from our own people of the Southwest. From Faraway, Butte, Chicago, Birmingham, New York, messages of solidarity and the crumpled dollar bills of working men. We women were helping and not just as cooks and cutting makers. A few of the men made jokes about it but the work had to be done so they let us stay. No one knew how great a change it was until the day of the crisis. The sheriff was smiling so we knew he brought bad news. The company had got the court injunction ordering the strikers to stop picketing. A toughed heart lay injunction, they called it. It meant heavy fines and jail sentences for the strikers if they disobeyed. A decision had to be made at once whether to obey the order or not. If we obey the court, the strike will be lost. The scabs will move in as soon as our picket line is gone. If we defy the court, our pickets will be arrested and the strike will be lost anyway. So there it is, brothers. The bosses have us coming and going. I just want to say this. No matter how you decide, the international will back you up as it's always backed you up. This is a democratic union. The decision is up to you. Brother Sherman. If we give up now, if we obey this rotten tap hardly, we are fools and cowards. There is only one way. Fight them. Fight them all. Come on. We don't get nothing. They'll arrest us. The men quarreled. We made brave speeches. It seemed that brother Barnes was right. The company had them coming and going. It seemed the strike was lost. Brother Sherman. If you read the courting engine carefully, you will see that the only prohibited striking miners from picketing. We women are not striking miners. We will take over your picket line. Don't laugh. We have a solution. You have none. Brother Quinteto was right when he said we'll lose 50 years of gains. He will lose his strike. Your wife and children too. But these we promise. If women take your places on the picket line, the strike will not be broken and no scabs will take your jobs. If that's a motion, only members of the union can make a motion. I so move. Second. Third the motion. The floor is open for debate. Luz asked him which was worse, to hide behind a woman's skirt or go down on his knees before the boss. Brothers, we don't count enough on our women. The bosses don't count on them at all. Will the bosses win now? Because there is no unity between the men, their wives and their sisters? Carlotta Sanchez said she didn't think picketing was proper for ladies. It wasn't nice. Maybe even a sin. And what will happen when the cops come and beat our women up? Are we going to stand there and watch them? No. We'll take over anyway. And we'll be right back where we started. Only worse. Even more humiliated. Brothers. Brothers. I beg you. Don't allow this. All the questions. All right. The questions have been called. You brothers know what you are voting on, that the sisters of the auxiliary take over the picket line. All those in favor will so signify. Brother Chairman, point of order. I don't know anything about these questions of parliament, but you men are voting on something the women are to do or not to do. So I think it's only fair if the women be allowed to vote, especially if they had to do the job. Brothers and sisters, it would be unconstitutional to permit women to vote at a union meeting. No objection. We could adjourn this meeting. No. Wait, wait. And reconvene this meeting as a community mass meeting with every adult entitled to a vote. I so move. All right. On the motion to adjourn, all those in favor will raise their hands. All those opposed. The ayes have it. Now every adult is entitled to a vote. Move on the original question. Those in favor that the sisters take over the picket line will so signify by raising their hands. All those opposed. The motion has carried the 103 to 85. And so they came, the women. They came from Sinktown and the hills beyond, from other mining camps, 10, 20, 30 miles away. Women we had never seen before, women who had nothing to do with the strike. Somehow they heard about the women's picket line and they came. And the men came too. I think they were afraid. Afraid the women wouldn't stand fast or maybe afraid they would. But not all the women went to the picket line. Somewhere forbidden by their husbands. I was one of them. It's not fair. I should be there with them. After all, I'm the one who got the women the vote. The union don't run my house. Both Anglo-Dames stirred you up to make fools of yourself. But you don't see any of them down there. Yes, I do. There is Ruth Barnes. She's the organizer's wife. She's got to be there. No, she wants to be there. And there is Mrs. Kalinsky. There's Jenkins' wife. You don't see Harold, no picket line. Anglo-Husbands can also be backward. Can be what? Backward. Can't I even put in an appearance? With a baby in your arms? The baby likes to be walked. It helps him burp. Wait a minute. Don't you honestly want a piss ball? Shut up. What's all the music? They're funny. A court order. I'm not sure about that, Mr. Alexander. Better the law, you know. All that injunction says is there's no picketing by minors. Whose side are you on, anyway? Don't get excited. They'll scatter like quail. Well, let's get at it for another 100 days and show something. All right, boys. What about these? Forget it. They'll scatter like quail. Looks like you got your hands full. There's been some experience for you, huh? Yes. I guess you've got enough today to let your lifetime. I'm going back tomorrow. Listen, you might get hurt. I might. If you think I'm going to pay nursemaid to know I'm your crazy. I've had these kids all day. I've had them since they were born. I'm telling you. I don't stay home with these kids tomorrow. Okay. And tomorrow I take the kids with me to the picket line. And so I came back the next day and every day for the next month. I kept Juanita in the coffee shack and when the weather was good and there was peace on the lines I brought his crib outside. Estela played with the little ones and Luis was in school. Ramon came every day just watching. The ladies, well, they criticized Ramon for not keeping the kids. While the sheriff's men left us Ramon but then they cursed us, insulted us, called us foul names. It started again. Dear Gasegue, this time the wind was against us. We spread out as we had planned and I took the baby away from the danger as we had planned. But they couldn't break our line. They couldn't break it. I tried everything but shooting them down. You haven't tried locking them up. You want them all arrested? No. Just the ringleaders. The fire readers. The ones with big families. Barton, where's that boy? Hey, you. I'm going to give you a choice. You can go home or go to jail. No ifs ands or buts. Get out the picket line or get arrested. Okay, point them out. That one, Teresa Llan. She's the leader. You're under arrest. Home of the Husqa, what's the deal? Keep marching, sisters. Let's draw some discipline. Teresa, they'll charge us with resisting arrest. Keep marching, sisters. Keep marching. Mrs. Alasari, the old one. Shana Diaz, that one in the blue dress. Luis Borales, that one. Mrs. Kalinsky, the Anglo. Ruth Barn, she's the organized wife. And Lala Alvarez, the pretty one. And that one. With the baby? She's Ramon Quintero's wife. He doesn't like her being here. Don't worry about Juanito. We can take care of Stella, too. No, the baby stays with me. Who'll I shoot at? We want to use formula. You want the what? The formula. Feed him out of my own pocket. When are they going to settle this thing? You want to negotiate with them? What do you want? Company has other minds. You've got to see the larger picture. Once these people get out of hands, what have you done here? Aren't you saying enough of me? I come for my kids. They're in your jail. But you've played every trump in your hand. They're not dead yet. Not every trump. Such as what? If I can't shut them, Danza, they keep yelling about a formula. A what? A formula for the baby or something. His kid. Got you some milk for the baby? So what's all the belly aching about? That milk is no good. Get out! You girls got only yourselves to blame for this. You could be back with your families in an hour. All you got to do is to sign a pledge not to go back on the picket line. Don't sign nothing for the sticker! No! You kids, get out of those baskets! It's always just to heat enough water to wash this dust. I'm telling you something. If this track is ever settled, which I doubt, I'll never go back to work for that company unless they install hot running water for us. It should have been a union demand from the beginning. You're telling me? Like Charlie Vidal says, there are two kinds of slavery. Which slavery? And the message slavery. The woman's question, he calls it. The woman's question? Yeah, the problem. What to do about it? So, what does he want to do about it? He says, give him quality. Equality is in job, equality is in home. And also, sexy quality. What do you mean, sexy quality? Sexy quality. You know, lo que es bueno para el hombre, es bueno para la mujer. He's some organizer that Charlie. He can too organize a wife right out of your home. Junior shop stewards. The what? Junior shop stewards. There's lots of ways we can help. Don't they have enough problems without them chipping you up to reform school? But you need all the help you can get. You've got a helper on the house. But you've got me doing everything. Mama never used to make me dry the dishes. You should have a helper without being asked. Four nights. Finally brought Kotli. I nearly lost my wife, Brad, yelling so much. I was just telling Kat to the baby. They're asleep. Did you have to find a place not to go back to the ticket line? No, no, we wouldn't do it. But if you go back, they'll lock you up again. No, no, the shapes have enough of us. We're driving crazy. We're not allowed to lose. Hi. Hi, Liz. Hello. Well? It's all set. Consola Squad can take the day off tomorrow. We're taking over. All right. We'll work it out. You and me. All right. But later, we have got a meeting now. A meeting? Yes, to plan for the ticket line tomorrow. You can sit in if you want. No, let's see. Who's available? China's husband is out of town on that delegation to see the governor. And a whole lot of men going on a fuel-hunting expedition tomorrow. 30 or 40 of them. So their wives are out too. But we can ask them to keep our kids so the rest of us can... What are we going to do about him, Esperanza? It's about time he was heartbroken. Maybe if a delegation of us talk to him, I have to work it out with him myself. He's got a friend in the Bureau of Men. You know what he says? They ain't never going to open that man up again. Oh, come on. Oh, he said the door's going out. So help me. Bulls. Lot of bulls. That's a rich mind. I know. But what's the difference? They'll never settle with us. Never. Hey! What do you know? It's him. It's him, the president. The president of the company. Let me see you there. Listen to this. Man of distinction. J. Hamilton Miller, financier. Business executive. Board chairman of Continental Factors. And president of Delaware Zinc Incorporation. Wait a minute. Wait a minute now. Some more. An enthusiastic sportsman and expert marksman. Mr. Miller manages to find time every year for an African safari. He leaves this month for Kenya, where he hopes to bag his 13th line. I'm going to frame this. Look, Ramon. Kind of look at the larger picture. So the guy's a wine hunter. What you expecting to hunt? Have it. Boil, boil. Would I like to get me some venison? I ain't taste the meat in four weeks. How about it, Ramon? Let's take off for a couple of days, huh? Why ask me? Am I running this strike? If you want permission to go over the hill, go at the lady's auxiliary. You waited up till midnight. You weren't waiting for me. That meeting only lasted 10 minutes. The first night I am home, you're on to the beer parlor. What is it? Can't you bear a sight of me? Be still. But you wanted to talk. I just can't go on living with you. Not this way. No, we can't go on this way. We can't go back to the old way either. The old way? What's your new way? What does it mean? You're right to neglect your kids? Why not? I'm not needed here. But you are needed. Especially now with most of the other men away. You are the captain of the standby squad. Sure, the standby squad. Stand by for the funeral. Who's funeral? We are doing all right. There hasn't been a scot near a picket line for three days. And you know why? Because the company knows they can starve us out. Even if it takes them another two or three months. What's it to them if the mines are down a little longer? It's a lot to them. They do anything to open that mine. Ah, they've got other mines. You don't see the larger picture. But they've got millions. Millions. They can outlast us and they know it. You mean you are ready to give up? Who said anything about giving up? I'll never go back to that company on my knees. Never. You want to go down fighting, is that it? I don't want to go down fighting. I want to win. Ramon, we are not getting weaker. We are stronger than ever before. They are getting weaker. They thought they could break our picket line and they failed. And now they can't win only if they pull up something big and pull it up fast. Like what? You don't know. It's like a lull before the storm. Charlie Vidal says? Charlie Vidal says. Don't throw Charlie Vidal up to me. Charlie is my friend. I need friends. Why are you so afraid to have me as your friend? I don't know what you're talking about. Have you learned nothing from this strike? Why are you afraid to have me at your side? Do you still think you can have dignity only if I have none? After what you've been doing? Yes, I took up dignity. The Anglo buses look down on you and you hate them for it. Stay in your place, you dirty Mexicans. That's what they tell you. But why must you say to me, stay in your place? Do you feel better having someone lower than you? Shut up, you're talking great. Whose next shall I stand on to make me feel superior? And what will I have out of it? I don't want anything lower than I am. I am low enough already. I want to rise and to push everything up with me as I go. Will you be still? And if you can't understand this, you are a fool. Because you can't win this strike without me. You can't win anything without me. That was the thing. Never try it on me again. I'm going to bed now. Sleep well, you please. But not with me. So they had a little taste of what it's like to be a woman. They ran away. Well, Ramon, it's right. I spoke out of the bitterness in me. And he was hurt. Anything worth learning is a hurt. These changes come with pain. For other husbands too. Not just Ramon. You mean you're ready to give up? You want to go down fighting, is that it? I don't want to go down fighting. I want to win. Ramon, we are not getting weaker. We are stronger than ever before. They are getting weaker. Have you learned nothing from this strike? I can feel it coming. It's like a lull before the storm. They thought they could break our picket lines and they failed. And now they can't win unless they pull off something big and pull it off fast. Esperanza, where's Ramon? Did he go hunting with the others? Where? Where can we find him, do you know? No. Dear hunters, deserters, that's what they are. Something's wrong. Charlie, tell us. The company has an eviction order. Eviction! And I'm dead. And my cousin, they can tell. Don't worry. Canterra's gone hunting with the others. Evict him first, the rest will be easy. Let their neighbors watch. It'll scare some sense into them. Do something? All right, girl, get back, get back. What are you saying? This means they have given up trying to break our picket line. Now we can all fight together. All of us. They won't listen to a man anymore. You want me to lock them up again? You want them in your lock up again? Got any more ideas? I don't make policy. I'll talk to New York. I think maybe we'd better settle this thing. We didn't know then that we had won the strike. But our hearts were full. And when Ramon said... Thanks, sisters and brothers. Esperanza, thank you for your dignity. You were right. Together we can push everything up with us as we go. Then I knew we had won something they could never take away. Something I could leave to my children and they, the salt of the earth, would inherit it.