by John Nichols
Dolly Parton, the brilliant songwriter and beloved country singer who has died at age 80, wrote one of the great anthems of the American working class. The title song from 9 to 5, the 1980 classic about battling gender inequity in the workplace that starred Parton, Jane Fonda, and Lily Tomlin, spoke so much truth that it became a hit on the pop and country charts, gained an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song, and collected two Grammys.
Workers everywhere knew what Parton meant when she sang about “barely gettin’ by, it’s all takin’ and no givin’,” and complained, “They just use your mind and they never give you credit. It’s enough to drive you crazy if you let it.” That song appeared on a remarkable solo album by Parton, 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs, which also included songs such as “Working Girl” and “Poor Folks Town” by Parton, along with a poignant cover of “Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos,” Woody Guthrie’s reflection on the racist treatment of migrant farm workers.
The album’s title track warned, “It’s a rich man’s game no matter what they call it. And you spend your life puttin’ money in his wallet.” It also reminded working women, “There’s a better life and you think about it, don’t you?”
So it came as no surprise that the news of Parton’s death on Tuesday elicited heartfelt expressions of mourning—and respect—from unions that counted her as one of their own.
“Dolly Parton knew what it was like to struggle as she fought for working families her whole career,” recalled the AFL-CIO. “From providing free books to kids to giving working women our ‘9 to 5’ anthem, she was an icon and an inspiration. Rest in power to our union sister. We will always love you.”
Parton was, indeed, a union sister for the better part of 60 years—carrying the card of multiple labor organizations that on Tuesday celebrated the talent and humanity that earned the country singer, actress, and philanthropist universal admiration.
“Rest in peace, Dolly. Thank you for the music and the solidarity,” declared the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM), the AFL-CIO-affiliated labor union that represents 70,000 professional singers and players, including Parton. AFM recalled a member whose “influence went far beyond the boundaries of country music, but she never lost track of who she was and her values.”
“Before she was an icon, Dolly was a working musician,” explained AFM International president Tino Gagliardi, who got his start as a New York–based trumpet player. “Dolly never forgot the musicians who helped bring her music to life. By standing firm for solidarity and treating every player with dignity, she elevated our entire profession.”
Dave Pomeroy, the bass player who serves as president of the AFM’s powerful Local 257 in Nashville, noted, “Throughout her 58 years as a proud member in good standing of Local 257, she set the gold standard for supporting her band and fellow musicians,” he recalled. “Dolly and her team consistently filed AFM union contracts for gigs, sessions, and tours, ensuring that the bands, singers, and studio musicians working alongside her received the benefits of union membership.”
Similar sentiments were expressed by entertainment industry unionists in Hollywood and nationwide.
“She was a member of SAG-AFTRA for more than five decades, joining the union in 1969,” recalled the Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, which proudly counted Parton among the 160,000 singers, recording artists, actors, announcers, broadcast journalists, dancers, DJs, news writers, news editors, program hosts, puppeteers, stunt performers, voiceover artists and other media professionals it represents.
“The passing of Dolly Parton will be deeply felt throughout our membership. Her life and legacy of joy and creativity had an indescribable impact on the world. As a singer, songwriter, performer, business leader and all-around visionary, Dolly Parton’s talent is revered across generations,” said SAG-AFTRA president Sean Astin (the veteran actor who played Samwise Gamgee in The Lord of the Rings trilogy). “Her basic humanity is known to the world, and she is simply beloved by countless millions. Personally, from ‘9 to 5’ when she effortlessly advanced the cause of professional women, to her Islands in the Stream collaboration with Kenny Rogers, I’m a true and forever fan. On behalf of SAG-AFTRA and my family, we send thoughts of love and condolence to her family.”
SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, a longtime social, economic justice, and LGBTQ+ rights campaigner, hailed Parton as “a once-in-a-generation artist and, just as importantly, someone of true generosity and decency.”
“As a fellow native Tennessean,” he recalled. “I’m humbled by what she did with her platform: putting books in the hands of millions of children through the Imagination Library, standing up for people being treated unfairly, and modeling real inclusion, including as a steady friend to the LGBTQ+ community well before that was easy to do. SAG-AFTRA and the entire creative community mourn her loss.”
And, of course, Service Employees International Union Local 925, which can trace its roots to the 1970s organizing of women office workers that helped to inspire Parton’s iconic film, added its voice of solidarity. “We’re not in the habit of recognizing celebrity deaths here at 925. That said, Dolly Parton is a national treasure and some folks here joke that Dolly is our Local’s patron saint,” declared the union activists. “After all, her song ‘9 to 5’ is our anthem.”
A truly wonderful tribute to Dolly Parton!
Saint Dolly...not an exaggeration. It's a reminder and a challenge to those of us who still walk our path on this world. We should often ask ourselves "what would Dolly think, say, and do?"