A number of important consequences have resulted from the generally increased sensitivity of trade unions to questions of communication and representation, particularly the trade union's uses of videos. Primarily developed by union leadership as a response to general political problems they have faced in the last decade, trade union videos constitute a large and expanding area of non-broadcast video work. These trade union officials have a precise sense of their members' needs and are prepared to experiment with different formal solutions to problems of communication. However, they also have a strong interest in controlling the content of material produced at all times. The major functions of these materials are general campaigning and training and education of members, and the distribution of materials for other uses poses severe problems. Conflicts of interest within and between union leadership and video makers have led some trade unionists to look for alternative forms of communication. Many of the avenues tried are fraught with difficulties, and forms of communication which go beyond the limits set by officials may not resolve all of the problems. Video workers who wish to be independent of the restrictions placed on them by the bureaucracy need financial help as well as organizational and political space. The appended list of sources includes 25 printed works, 22 interviews, and 20 tapes. (CGD)