Independent Lens, 9to5: The Story of a Movement

Saturday, Feb. 6, at 11 PM

Repeats Sunday, Feb. 7, at 3:30 AM

Also airs on Fusion on Monday, Feb. 1, at 10 PM and Saturday, Feb. 6, at 1:30 PM

Before the hit song and Hollywood movie, “9to5” was an inspiring grassroots movement for equality that fused the spirit of both the women’s and labor movements of the 1970s. 9to5: The Story of a Movement chronicles the waves of secretaries, starting in Boston, who in the 1970s and 80s fought to create impactful changes in their workplaces. Their ideas spread rapidly, eventually leading to a nationwide movement at the intersection of the women’s movement and the labor movement, and changed the American workforce forever.

In the 1970s, secretaries and clerical workers made up the largest sector of the American workforce, with over 20 million employed. Inspired by the growing Women’s Liberation Movement, secretaries Ellen Cassedy and Karen Nussbaum got mad, got organized, and started a group called “9to5.” The group grappled with class and race barriers, and deployed humor and wry publicity stunts to shame their bosses into change. Their goals were simple: better pay, job descriptions, respect, advancement opportunities, and an end to sexual harassment. What Cassedy and Nussbaum didn’t know is that similar groups were popping up in Chicago, San Francisco and other cities across the country. Clerical workers were the low-wage workers of their era. As America confronts the growing reality of deep income inequality and commonplace sexual harassment, the stories and strategies of these bold, creative women continue to resonate deeply almost 50 years later.

Featuring interviews with 9to5 founders Nussbaum and Cassedy, actress and activist Jane Fonda, and other leaders in the movement, 9to5: The Story of a Movement is a previously untold story, brought to life through a mixture of archival footage and newly filmed interviews from the movement's activists. 9to5 weaves a story that celebrates the strides that women have made in achieving equality, while recognizing there is a lot of work yet to be done.