American drama in which Zeke Brown (Richard Pryor) and Jerry Bartkowski (Harvey Keitel) work at an auto plant in recession-hit Detroit. Aware that union membership no longer guarantees job security, the duo act on the suggestion of their ex-con friend Smokey (Yaphet Kotto) that they rob their local union safe. Instead of discovering wads of cash, Zeke and Jerry stumble upon evidence of union corruption and conspiracies, which they attempt to use to redress the balance.