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To reduce dependence on China, more of us need to work in factories
(www.politico.eu)
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this post was submitted on 26 Jun 2023
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Factory jobs do pay living wages. I worked at a Fortune 500 factory in rural AL and the entry level jobs (running the street sweeper inside the factory) started at $28/hr. Operators that took OT would make over $100k/yr. The operators that worked there 20+ years made more money than I did as an engineer.
I’ve worked in factories in California, Ohio, Alabama, and my peers have worked all over (different companies). Factory jobs pay very decent and often have a hard time finding employees.
Thanks for the injection of reason. I work as an engineer in a manufacturing plant. We're short-staffed with a high turnover. However that's because of the hours, not the pay. This thread is filled with people who think factory workers are manual-labor oppressed people with no upward mobility. It's borderline classist. Factory jobs aren't inherently bad or unhealthy.
I think most people still visualize these roles as we see them on TV where its a person in all white scrubs screwing in 4 things before passing it down the line for 12 hours per day.
The factories that can actually be profitable in North America need massive automation in order to function and most of the jobs are far more complex than we think. CNC operators, forklift operators, etc.
Exactly. It's the hours that suck, depending on shift. Do you forever want to live life in 3rd shift? If you have kids, you'll rarely see them... You'll be asleep when they're awake and at work when they are.
It's just not ideal for most people.
Just to be clear, the hours suck because there's a labor shortage, causing us to be short staffed, causing us to put in extra hours to make shipments in time. This is a relatively recent thing. It's also the number one priority of the plant right now to reduce overtime. The plant is supposed to run for 8 hour shifts 5 days a week.
Also, there are plenty of people who prefer 3rd shift. It has higher pay. You're asleep while spouses and kids are at work/school. you're awake when they're home and working while they sleep.