Awl (송곳)

What are you guys doing?

Take that off immediately!

Move forward!

Let's go.

Get out of my way!

What on earth is this?

Mr. Lee, what happened to my wage?

I

don't get disappointed by what people do.

Awl.

This story begins on a certain day in June, 2003.

Episode 9

What the hell-

Whose uniform is this?

Seriously?

Who hung this here without squeezing the water out first?

How inconsiderate!

Whose is this?

I am about to throw it away!

Hey!

You know the managers will yell at me if I hung this outside.

I always hang mine here. Why are you making a big deal out of it?

What did I say?

I just said you have to squeeze the water out first so that the floor doesn't get wet.

I can't even have the strength to squeeze it,

after I've seen that paycheck of mine.

Why are you bringing that up now?

It's not just you, you know.

You started yelling at me,

because I quit the union, didn't you?

Do you think this is about you quitting the union?

What else?

You were the one who convinced me to join the union.

I can't even pay my kids' tutor.

Yeah, right.

I was throwing a fit because you quit the union.

Are you happy now?

I will show you what throwing a fit is.

Look!

Oh my gosh-

Stop it, Jung-mi!

How can she talk to me like that?

Calm down, Jung-mi.

She acts as if they cut her wage only.

Hey, for her,

her kids' tutor fee is a big problem.

My husband might get kicked out of the hospital now.

She came to work here to earn money to hire a tutor.

Even so!

How could she complain in front of me?

She quit the union just like that because she's selfish.

How can she think clearly when her wage has been cut in half?

We all subsist on our monthly wages.

Do you think we are staying in the union because we can think clearly?

I will never forgive them.

They quit, knowing that they were severing ties with us.

Ji-won!

Can you take over for a sec?

I will watch here for you.

Mr. Lee.

I heard you helped the member who'd quit the union.

I did.

Why on earth did you do that?

Don't you feel betrayed?

They are still the member of our Fourmis family.

Even though they chose another way, they are still our family.

What family?

They betrayed their family to save their own asses.

What kind of family does that?

I can't accept that.

I agree.

It was an act of betrayal.

Don't be so harsh on them.

They might come back later.

We can't let them come back!

Watch how you talk to me.

If the union let them rejoin, I will quit.

I came here because of the unpaid wages.

Unpaid wages?

As far as I know, there aren't any unpaid wages.

Only the union members' wages have been cut.

Clearly, this is an adverse action against the union.

Adverse action?

I am not familiar with such fancy terms, but-

if you don't work,

you don't get paid.

That, I know well.

You guys missed lots of work to do the union activities.

Not only that,

you deducted hours we spent on legal break time.

This is a discrimination against the members-

Do you wish me to be fair and cut the wages of non-members also?

Mr. Lee.

I am only following the order.

What power do I have?

The company tells me to cut their wages, so I do it.

Unlike me, you can't follow orders, right?

Or you choose not to?

Wow, Mr. Lee.

You act emotionally when it comes to money issues, eh?

I didn't know you had emotions.

Thank you!

Thank you so much!

Thank you, good bye.

Please take this, thank you.

Thank you, we are Fourmis union.

Hello, we are Fourmis Union.

Please read this.

Thank you, we are Fourmis union. Read this please.

-Thank you. -Thanks so much.

What are you doing?

Take this down.

Get out.

We are not going anywhere.

We can't leave.

Get out of here!

You can't kick us out.

Move!

Are we some kind of rotted fish?

Hey!

They don't even look at us.

We can't fight with someone who ignores us.

They are waiting for us to get tired and quit on our own.

We've been tired since the wage cut.

Mom!

I am just worried.

How long are we going to do this?

Don't worry.

The company will reach out to us soon.

What if they don't after months of doing this?

Hey, your phone is ringing. Answer it.

It's nothing. I don't have to.

It's okay. Go take care of it.

Hello.

This is she.

I am sorry.

I didn't get fully paid last month.

Could I delay the payment to next month?

You are placing a credit freeze?

I know, but

I am living on credit right now.

I understand.

I will take care of it.

Jung-mi.

Do you have some extra cash?

It's not like you don't know my situation-

Why? You have an emergency?

No.

I have a couple of hundreds on me.

Do you want me to loan you?

No, it's fine-

I will pay you back next month.

I mean,

next time.

The look of hopelessness?

Sorry?

Or is it the look of wanting to wave the white flag?

You look as if the world is about to end.

There still is a thing you can do.

Let's take this to regional labor relations board.

Let's apply for a hearing and get remedy for unfair labor practice.

Would we be able to win at the hearing?

If by any chance we lose,

we can't do anything else.

Mr. Lee.

Winning and losing don't matter now.

You have to show that the union is moving forward.

They are all looking at you.

You are the driving force of Il Dong union.

If you stop, everyone will stop.

Is there anything you can do now?

Nothing.

So, let's take this to labor relations board.

Besides,

why do you think you will lose?

Huh?

You have the greatest union attorney right here.

I need to get going.

He admitted that I am the greatest, right?

Mr. Lee,

they will cut out wage next month too, right?

Because of the picketing we did last few days,

it's going to be worse, if anything.

Money makes the world go round, I guess.

She seems like a different person these days.

We've lost more members, haven't we?

Yes.

I've been trying my best to convince people to stay,

have faith in you and wait a little more, but-

I will go wrap these now.

You are the driving force of Il Dong Union.

If you stop, everyone will stop.

This is a charge against employer for unfair labor practice.

Petition Complainant: Fourmis Union Il Dong Branch Defendant: Fourmis Mart.

I have an announcement to make.

Due to the unpaid wages,

I decided to file a complaint with Labor Relations Board.

Labor Relations board?

What is that?

They resolve labor disputes,