Norma Rae is a 1979 American drama film directed by Martin Ritt from a screenplay written by Irving Ravetch and Harriet Frank Jr.

Initially, management tries to divert her frequent protests by promoting her to "spot checker", where she is responsible for ensuring other workers are fulfilling work quotas.

She reluctantly takes the job for the pay hike, but when fellow employees, including her father, shun her for effectively being a "fink" to the bosses, she demands to be fired.

Divorced with a daughter, he proposes marriage after a short courtship; recognizing how long it has been since she met a non-selfish man with whom to keep company, she accepts his offer.

When her father drops dead at the mill of a heart attack—a death that could have been averted had he been allowed to leave his post early instead of waiting for his allotted break—she is more determined to continue the fight.

While awaiting the sheriff, Norma Rae takes a piece of cardboard, writes the word "UNION" on it, stands on her work table, and slowly turns to show the sign around the room.

Upon returning home to her family, Norma decides to talk to her children and tell them the story of her life, their questionable parentage, and her recent arrest so they are prepared for any smears that may come from those hoping to discredit her efforts.

The scene where Norma Rae writes "UNION" on a sheet of cardboard and stands on a table until her co-workers shut off their machines is closely based on a protest by Lee Sutton in 1978.

The website's critical consensus reads: "Spearheaded by a galvanizing Sally Field, Norma Rae is a heartening and politically powerful drama about an ordinary woman taking an extraordinary stand.

Paced by Sally Field's best performance to date in a rapidly accelerating career, and under Martin Ritt's firm but sensitive direction, the 20th Century-Fox release is that rare entity, an intelligent film with heart.

[21] Penelope Gilliatt of The New Yorker wrote "This picture is historically fascinating in what it tells us of the labor movement, and it does honor to a particular sort of involved character who will not be intimidated.

[25] In 2011, Norma Rae was selected for the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".