In 1922, in the midst of a nationwide coal miners' strike, one mine in southern Illinois defies the strike and hires scabs to continue operating. David Brown, a Union member, does the unthinkable and crosses the line to take work as a scab; he's forced to do so to help his ailing father. He finds himself torn between his loyalty to the union and his father's health. But he discovers his choice may not have been the safest as he's suddenly caught in a violent clash between the local union and the scabs. Based on actual events.