American made : what happens to people when work disappears / Farah Stockman.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Stockman, Farah, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Plant shutdowns--Indiana--Indianapolis--Case studies.

Plant shutdowns.

Working class--Indiana--Indianapolis--Case studies.

Working class.

Work--Social aspects--Indiana--Indianapolis--Case studies.

Work.

Unemployed--Indiana--Indianapolis--Case studies.

Unemployed.

Work--Social aspects.

Indianapolis (Ind.)--Economic conditions--21st century.

Indianapolis (Ind.).

Indianapolis (Ind.)--Social conditions--21st century.

Economic history.

Social conditions.

Indiana--Indianapolis.

Genre:

Case studies.

Physical Description:

viii, 418 pages : illustration ; 25 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

New York : Random House, [2021]

Summary:

"Shannon, Wally, and John built their lives around their place of work. Shannon, a white single mother, became the first woman to run the factory's dangerous furnaces at the Rexnord manufacturing plant in Indianapolis and was proud of producing one of the world's top brands of steel bearings. Wally, a black man known for his initiative and kindness, was promoted to become chairman of efficiency, one of the most coveted posts on the factory floor, and dreamed of starting his own barbecue business one day. John, a white machine operator, came from a multigenerational union family and clashed with a work environment that was increasingly hostile to organized labor. The Rexnord factory had served as one of the economic engines for the surrounding community. When the factory closed, hundreds of people lost their jobs. What had life been like for Shannon, Wally, and John, before the factory closed? And what became of them after the factory moved to Mexico and Texas? American Made is a story about people and a community struggling to reinvent itself. It is also a story about race, class, and American values, and how jobs serve as a bedrock of people's lives and drive powerful social justice movements. This revealing book is also about this political moment, when joblessness and uncertainty about the future of work have made themselves heard at a national level. Most of all it is a story about people: who we consider to be one of us, and how the dignity of work lies at the heart of who we are"-- Provided by publisher

Contents:

Machine generated contents note: pt. I THE END OF EVERYTHING: 2016

The Impossible Possible

Shannon, the Survivor

Wally, the Believer

John, the Fighter

After the Tweet

pt. II THE WAY THINGS WERE

"Stand Up on Your Own Two Legs"

Honest Dollars

The Feltner Curse

"Don't Ever Depend on a Man"

Jane Crow

"Better Make Sure You Get a Pension"

Therapy

"This Ain't Navistar"

The Half-Life

pt. III LOVE AND WORK

Blame It on Second Shift

"You Are Going to Wish You Needed Me Now"

"You're Just Company"

Hillbilly in a Suit

pt. IV THE WARNING SIGNS

"China Parts"

pt. V SHUTTING DOWN

"A Strongman to Vote For"

The Suck-Ass Clause

"It's Not Pie"

Watermelon Was Right

The Future of Everything

Blessed

Difficult Life Situations

"Speak American"

"Not for Human Masters"

"Two Years of Nothing"

Losing Two Babies

pt. VI STARTING OVER

"A Dying Breed"

Minimum Acceptable Wage

"A Lot of Mess"

Good Neighbors

"Present with the Lord"

White Privilege

"It Ain't like Rexnord"

One of Us.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 367-402) and index.

Other Format:

Online version: Stockman, Farah. American made.

ISBN:

9781984801159

1984801155

OCLC:

1242027203