Independent Lens

9to5: The Story of a Movement

Season 22  Episode 7

They couldn’t kill their bosses, so they did the next best thing - they organized.

When Dolly Parton sang “9 to 5,” she was doing more than just shining a light on the fate of American working women. Parton was singing the true story of a movement that started with 9to5, a group of Boston secretaries in the early 1970s. Their goals were simple - better pay, more advancement opportunities and an end to sexual harassment - but their unconventional approach attracted the press and shamed their bosses into change. Featuring interviews with 9to5’s founders, as well as actor and activist Jane Fonda, 9TO5: THE STORY OF A MOVEMENT is the previously untold story of the fight that inspired a hit and changed the American workplace.

 


RELATED EVENT:

FRIDAY, MARCH 19 at 1P ET/10A PT

Oscar-winning filmmaker Julia Reichert discusses her new film, 9TO5: THE STORY OF A MOVEMENT about secretaries turned organizers who fought for women’s rights in the workplace. Join the event to listen to organizers Ellen Cassedy, Janet Selcer, Dorine Levasseur and Darlene Lombos, watch never-before-seen interviews, and learn how their fight for equality & equity inspired Dolly Parton's hit song and film, 9 to 5. Moderated by Tina Martin. 

Watch the recorded Meet the Makers: 9to5 The Story of a Movement panel discussion