The Hand That Feeds

At a local New York bagel and coffee joint, deli-worker Mahoma and his fellow undocumented employees struggle to make a living, despite sub-legal wages and abusive management. But in January 2012, Mahoma convinces a small group of his co-workers to fight back. Risking deportation and the loss of their livelihood, the workers team up with a diverse crew of young organizers to form their own independent union. Over the course of a tumultuous year, THE HAND THAT FEEDS tracks their surprising journey, following the group as they grapple with legal backroom dealings, internal betrayals, Occupy Wall Street protesters, and a picket line that divides the neighborhood. Can they win a contract and set a historic precedent for low-wage workers across the country? As they fight for equal rights and better pay, the film chronicles not only a fight for economic justice, but also the political awakening of Mahoma and his people.