Last Exit to Brooklyn

In 1952 Brooklyn, workers have entered the sixth month of a factory strike. Shop steward Harry Black relishes his new role as strike secretary; the job is more lucrative and keeps him out of the house, away from a wife who does not realize that Harry is gay. As tensions rise, the union, the workers, and the factory management grow more at odds, foreshadowing the clashes to come.

Boyce, the union leader, tries to negotiate between the factory and the union representatives. He must balance the workers' demands with the risk of escalation on the picket lines. The negotiations play out against mounting pressure and threats from the contractor.

Tralala is a prostitute who lures unsuspecting sailors to a vacant lot to be robbed by Vinnie, her pimp and ex-convict. The scheme reveals the darker underside of the waterfront during the strike era. The illicit economy surrounding the strike feeds off desperation and lawlessness.

Georgette, a young transgender woman, harbors a crush on Vinnie, adding a personal complication to the street-level power dynamics. Her feelings intersect with the violence and exploitation that swirl around the striker community.

Big Joe confronts Tommy at the strike office after learning his daughter is pregnant by him. The confrontation erupts into a fight that underscores the personal costs of the industrial battle. The tension foreshadows the fragile alliances within the strike community.

Tommy agrees to marry Joe's daughter, choosing commitment amid the chaos of the strike. The engagement promises stability for a family fractured by work stoppages and rivalries. The couple's plans become another point of contention within the union.

The baby is born before the wedding, heightening the stakes for everyone involved. During the wedding party, Joe and Tommy clash again, but they reconcile when they realize their quarrel could threaten the newborn. The moment hints at a fragile peace achievable only through the bonds of family.

Harry meets Regina, a transgender woman, and falls in love. The next morning, he misses the arrival of trucks at the factory, and the strikers attempt to stop their departure, sparking a riot. The pageant of protests escalates as tensions flare and the police intervene.

The riot escalates as strikers clash with strikebreakers on the streets around the factory. Police disperse with water cannons and tear gas, and Harry is injured in a fight with a strikebreaking driver, earning him hero status among the workers. The disturbance reveals how quickly momentum can swing in a labor battle.

Harry introduces Vinnie to Boyce, who agrees to target the contractor's trucks. The plan backfires when management uncovers Harry's abuse of expenses and his absence the morning the trucks arrived, leading to his dismissal. The firing completes a personal collapse set against the strike's precarious balance.

Heartbroken, Harry returns to Regina, who throws him out of her life. The breakup compounds his sense of failure as the strike pain lingers in his relationships. He struggles with the consequences of his choices.

Harry is badly beaten by Vinnie and his associates, who push Georgette to join in the violence. The assault underscores the brutal, sometimes cruel, reality at the strike's underworld. The physical damage mirrors the erosion of trust within the community.

In Manhattan, Tralala meets a kindly sailor who seems to truly love her and promises to return from war to be with her. He ships out, and she sinks into despair, drinking and exposing herself in public, which leads to a violent assault by locals. She is left catatonic on a mattress, later found by Joe's son.

At Tommy's wedding, Boyce announces that management has caved to their demands and the factory will reopen on Monday, prompting collective celebration. The workers glimpse an end to the strike as the personal dramas continue to unfold. The announcement reshapes loyalties and signals a fragile return to normalcy.

On Monday, as workers return to the factory, Joe welcomes Tommy to the family and offers him marital advice if he ever needs it. The scene closes the immediate arc with a cautiously hopeful note amid the lingering tensions. The workers begin rebuilding after the long strike.