With years of experience working with labor unions, John August serves as an associate director of the Healthcare Transformation Project at Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations. Before assuming this role, he was executive director of the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions and co-lead of the Kaiser coalition’s national labor management partnership. When away from work, John August enjoys listening to jazz and watching movies.
Recently, John viewed Lance Edmand's film, Bluebird. It is a story of how distractions from day-to-day life, while significant can cause unexpected tragedy. The film begins and ends with the rhythms and flow of a paper mill. While it is clear that the business is failing, most, if not all of the town of Millinocket, Maine is dependent on it. The hard times are evident all around.
One day the main character, a school bus driver is distracted at the end of her shift on an unforgiving cold day. As she is checking the bus for left articles, she notices a bluebird in the bus. That momentary glance distracts her from completing her duties.
The next morning, when she reports to work, she finds one of the young boys near frozen to death in the bus, left overnight asleep. The glimpse of the beautiful bird caused this tragedy. Or did it?
A haunting film about survival, economic, familial, and community, much can be felt from this sad story.
Recently, John viewed Lance Edmand's film, Bluebird. It is a story of how distractions from day-to-day life, while significant can cause unexpected tragedy. The film begins and ends with the rhythms and flow of a paper mill. While it is clear that the business is failing, most, if not all of the town of Millinocket, Maine is dependent on it. The hard times are evident all around.
One day the main character, a school bus driver is distracted at the end of her shift on an unforgiving cold day. As she is checking the bus for left articles, she notices a bluebird in the bus. That momentary glance distracts her from completing her duties.
The next morning, when she reports to work, she finds one of the young boys near frozen to death in the bus, left overnight asleep. The glimpse of the beautiful bird caused this tragedy. Or did it?
A haunting film about survival, economic, familial, and community, much can be felt from this sad story.