Blue collar work refers to work that involves manual labor. They are typically working class. They also usually earn hourly wages. These jobs can be unskilled or skilled. The difference between unskilled labor and skilled labor is that unskilled did not require that its workers be specially trained or have to learn a special skill. Meanwhile, skilled labor requires its workers to have a skill or special training in order to be able to perform that specified work. Some people break down skill levels even more than just those two categories. Social security classifies it as unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled. Unskilled work does not take much judgement to complete the task. The worker also does not need any special qualifications. They can …show more content…
quickly learn how to do the task that the job calls for while on the job. Semi-skilled work is more intricate than unskilled but less intricate than skilled work. It may takes months to learn. Lastly, skilled labor worker need to use judgment. Workers have special skills to be able to handle the many complex aspects of the job like dealing with numbers/measurements, people, blueprints, materials, machines and computers. In order for workers to be able to work in skilled areas they train, go through certification processes, and/or work for months to years in that specified area. Skilled worker have some sort of expertise. No matter the level of skill, there was always a sector for workers in blue collar work. Jobs that are considered blue collar are construction, electrical, firefighting, policing, welding, mechanic (aircraft engine, heavy mobile equipment, sheet metal, electronics, and maintenance), machining, pipefitting, truck driving, sanitation, custodial, carpentry, assembly, manufacturing, plumbing and heating. There are many more occupations that are considered blue collar. The phrase blue collar has been around for many years. It is said that the term’s origins went as far back as 1924, when it was first used in an Iowa newspaper. It provided the perfect contrast to the term white collar which had been in use years before the term blue collar came about. It is said that the term white collar goes back to 1910. People who worked in offices typically wore white collared shirts. Meanwhile it was not practical for manual laborers to wear them because it would get dirty with grime and sweat. Manual laborers preferred to wear darker clothing for they would not soil as easily. At the very least the dirt would not be as noticeable against the dark colors of their clothing. Over the years there has been a decline in the blue collar sector.
To understand why, one would have to take a look at multiple aspects like the downside of blue collar jobs, the economy, offshoring, and advancement in technology. First downside to blue collar work are the limitation of that workers have over which assignments they work on and how they want to work on it. Second is the shortage of chances for advancement among the workers. Third downside is the way how society sometimes views manual laborers and the work they do. They can be looked down upon. Some might view them as unkempt, but these are people that work with their hands. They oftentimes get dirty from the job that they are doing. Some view blue collar jobs as an alternative option as opposed to it being an adequate and desired first option. One of the reasons for this is because of the misinformation that people have on the area. Second reason is because of the type of society we live in, college and a well-paying lavish career is enforced as the desired next step after completing high school. Some people are under the impression that blue collar workers could not make it or were unfit for college, so instead they picked up a trade. Some might accuse them of being uneducated or unintelligent. The jobs are sometime looked at by people who are not in the field as unworthy or beneath them. These stigmas and stereotypes can turn people away from looking into getting a blue collar
job. Fourth downside is the repetitiveness that comes with some jobs. This causes a “lack of mental stimulation” (Lock 270). This can be especially true for jobs that partake in an assembly line like method. For their workers are just working on a little part of the overall project. They are involved in one portion of the production and it can be quite monotonous. Very little judgment might be used because of the repetitiveness of their movements needs some or very little thought. Fifth downside to blue collar work is the working conditions. It can be long hours in all sorts of different weather conditions ranging from sweltering heat to pouring rain. The work can put a strain on the body and over time because health issues like back pain, respiratory issues, heart problems, etc. Sixth downside is that their job is not guaranteed. Of course, no one’s job really is. With the development of new technology and outsourcing, blue collar workers are at risk of being laid off. Even though all of these negative factors does not apply to all blue collar jobs, it does apply to some. It has an influence on the amount of people seeking employment in blue collar fields. These reasons are enough to stop some people from becoming a manual laborer or blue collar worker. The developing health concerns can be one of the reasons why blue collar workers might leave their field and seek employment elsewhere. Lock states the history of blue collar has changed drastically from it being “one of expansion followed by stagnation and decline” (270). This can be accredited to the recession that affected the economy. When a recession hits, it does not affect white collar jobs and blue collar jobs in the same way. The recession hit blue collar workers hard “Typically, when a U.S. company faces falling demand, it cuts output and lays off production (blue-collar) workers” (Groshen and Williams 1). Many blue collar workers get laid off. Another reason for the decrease in blue collar work is offshoring. Offshoring is when companies shut down their doors, layoff their workers and move production to another country. This is done so they can save money on the cost of production. Companies save money by paying people overseas way lower wages than what they used to pay their American workers. A lot of blue collar manufacturing jobs have been moved overseas. Asia is one of the prime locations for offshoring. The advancement of technology also has an influence on what type of jobs are available. The progression of telecommunication and computers provided jobs in the service area. This diverted workers from manufacturing over to the service sector. The advancement of computers are to the advantage of white collar workers “Increased use of computers has led to consistently increasing demand for white-collar workers who use that physical capital in production, particularly employees who use personal computers at work” (“Blue Collar and White Collar”). Many laborer’s work has been replaced by machine/technology. Between computers, robotics and automation the amount of work that people have to do has lessen. Technology also increased production efficiency. Many people truly believe and fear that technology is replacing human labor, “There is a fear of replacement, and future prospects are rather shocking, not only because of the risks of losing the jobs that professionals have but also because there is an underlying fear of losing professional skills and expertise” (Wasén 149). This thought is due to the fact that robots or automotive are time efficient, cost effective, and can do whatever work they are designed to do without any complaints unlike humans. They can do a lot of low skill jobs. Robots won’t need skilled operators. When it comes down to cost, bosses typically go with the most cost conserving route which are robots. They are currently working on self-driving cars. These cars will eventually replace transportation workers. There are millions of people that are employed in the transportation field, but with these new technological creations their jobs are not safe. People are not perfect drivers. They fall asleep behind the wheel, eat, text, drive while under the influence, make bad judgement call that causes car accidents. Accidents can be costly. Therefore, with the self-driving car, there will be no accidents due to human error because there won’t be a human behind the wheel. Make no mistake, robots are also working towards doing white collar jobs and jobs that do not fall under either categories like law and medicine. There will probably be a decline due to automations in those sectors also. Robots are a great threat to human labor. It might not be the largest reason why there is a decline in blue collar work, which just might be because of the recession or offshoring. It is possibly the greatest threat of all in the long run. With the plans people have towards evolving robotics, everyone’s jobs can be in jeopardy.
However, in the restaurant I currently work at and have been working at going on six years, I work with handful of college graduates. These college graduates who have a diploma at home hanging on their wall still choose to work as blue-collar status. The reason being that there are not many other options of employment that you can work a six-hour shift and walk out of that shift with a hundred dollars in your pocket. “Like anyone who is effective at physical work, my mother learned to work smart, as she put it, to make every move count”
In the article, “Blue-Collar Brilliance” by Mike Rose, he begins with an anecdote of his mother working her blue-collar job at a diner as a waitress. Rose vividly describes her common day that is packed with a constant array of tedious tasks she has to accomplish to make her living. The authors goal appears to be making the reader appreciate the hard work of blue-collar workers because society places a stereotype on them as being less intelligent than someone with more schooling or even a white-collar job: “Our cultural iconography promotes the muscled arm, sleeve rolled tight against biceps, but no brightness behind the eye, no inmate that links hand and brain” (282). I agree with Rose’s conclusion that if we continue to place a stigma on
Blue Collar workers today are looked down upon by most of society. People think that if you have a blue collar job you aren’t smart and not successful. But in my opinion, blue collar workers are the backbone of our society, and deserve the same amount of respect as white collar workers. “Blue Collar Brilliance by Mike Rose” explains how blue collar workers are very smart and use a lot of brainpower to get their jobs done. Both his Uncle and mother were blue collar workers and that’s where he got his inspiration to stand up for blue collar workers around the world. He gives us examples of how his own family members were blue collar workers and how they were smart and how they excelled at their jobs. He uses his own experiences to show us that blue collar workers are in fact smart, able to adapt to many different situations, and deserve respect.
“Intelligence is closely associated with formal education- the type of schooling a person has, how much and how long- and most people seem to move comfortably from the notion to a belief that work requiring less schooling requires less intelligence” (Rose 276). My Dad has worked blue collar jobs his entire life. Security guard, lawn service, woodworker, carpenter, plus anything else that involves his hands. He didn’t have any schooling past his high school diploma. But he’s always told me, “Yeah, I wish I went to college, but I’m sure as hell glad I was taught and forced to learn the skills I have now. Like doing things on my own and working with my hands, my work ethic, and my ability to absorb as many things as I could to get the job done.” Blue collar jobs can never be outsourced. There will always be a need for plumbers, electricians, machine operators, carpenters and many, many more
A college Degree used to be an extraordinary accolade but now its just another thing that we need in order to be successful, at this points its nothing more than a paperweight to some. Mike Rose states, “Intelligence is closely associated with formal education—the type of schooling a person has, how much and how long—and most people seem to move comfortably from that notion to a belief that work requiring less schooling requires less intelligence” (Mike Rose 276). In other words the author of Blue-Collar Brilliance, Mike Rose, believes that blue-collar jobs require intelligence as well. I agree that those who work blue-collar jobs need to be intelligent, a point that needs emphasizing since so many people believe that those who work blue-collar jobs aren't intelligent and that why they have them. Although I also believe that
Mike Rose’s article “Blue-Collar Brilliance” talks about people judging other people’s intelligence based on their jobs. Mike Rose explains in his article that people with blue collar jobs are just as intelligent as people with white collar jobs because they both use critical thinking and multi task while they are working. The standard of their jobs might be different because of their different ways of learning. People who are considered professionals or white collared individuals learn by studying or reading reports where blue collared individuals learn by performing a task. They learn faster ways to perform the task after they have done it multiple times. I believe that Rose’s thinking is very effective as it tells us that we should not judge
In 1794 organized labor unions were formed to protect workers from poor working conditions and low wages. The Knights of Labor and the American Federation of Labor were formed in the late 1800’s. (Difference Between Knights of Labor and AFL). Both the Knights of Labor and The American Federation of Labor original goals were to improve working conditions for employees. Although the unions started out separately, during hard times and low membership they had to combine worker unions to regain their strength.
U.S. Labor History Unionism can be described as "a continuous association of wage-earners for the purpose of maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment" (Smelser). This means that a group of workers can unite to gain more power and leverage in bargaining. The bargaining process may include many aspects but usually consists of wages, benefits, terms and conditions of employment. The notion of union came about in the 1700's. In the beginning, as it is today, workers united to "defend the autonomy and dignity of the craftsman against the growing power of the company" (Montgomery).
Everyone grows up with a dream, but everyone will not get the opportunity to do so, being born in the financial situation of their family. In third world countries people struggle to make money on a daily basis. These people want more than what they have, but to attain those extra luxuries, they have to sacrifice their current possessions.This is not possible in as sacrificing what they have can lead to starvation. They want a better future but they need to be able to live on a daily basis. It is called investment in the future vs temporary happiness. Attaining security requires risking one’s belongings to earn liberty and equality in the future. Although temporary contentment must be sacrificed to attain security in life, it must be one’s
Dana Goldstein a journalist from The Nation says that, “47 million American jobs are expected to be created between now and 2018, and about two-thirds will require some sort of education beyond high school.” In making this comment, Goldstein is showing us that the only way to be prosperous in the future is to educate our children. Goldstein goes on to say that, “27 percent of workers with occupational licenses earn more than the average recipient of a bachelor’s degree.” In other words, Goldstein is trying to tell us that a bachelor 's degree isn 't the only way to go and that we need to increase funding for vocational schools and community
The mineworkers, the courier/food/newspaper delivery personnel and even the prisoners of whom hard labor is required are considered the oppressed. In the correctional centers the director has the authority to require that each able-bodied prisoner under commitment to the state department of corrections engage in hard labor for not less than forty hours per week. Besides that not more than twenty hours per week of participation in an educational, training or treatment program may be substituted for an equivalent number of hours of hard labor as prescribed by the director of the state department of correction. In this article, what I mean by "hard labor" means compulsory physical activity for the attainment of some object other than recreation or amusement. A tight labor market and a record number of inmates being released from prisons have a lot to do with the labor jobs. "They have to feed families and if they don't have jobs, they're going to end up back in the system...
The General Accountability Office defines a sweatshop as a “multiple labor law violator.” A sweatshop violates laws pertaining to benefits, working hours, and wages (“Toxic Uniforms”). To make more money, companies move their sweatshop factories to different locations and try to find the cheapest locations with the least regulations (“Sweatshops”). There are not as many sweatshop factories in the United States because the industries have been transferred overseas where the labor is cheaper and there are weaker regulations. In the United States, sweatshops are hidden from the public, with poor immigrant workers who are unable to speak out against the injustices (“Subsidizing Sweatshops”). Workers in sweatshops are forced to work overtime, earn below a living wage, do not earn benefits, and encounter verbal, physical and sexual abuse. Macy’s, JCPenney, Kohl’s, The
Sweatshops are considered to be a thing in the past, but the truth is they are more common than people would think. Many companies use sweatshops as a way to produce more products for little money. To some companies, their labels have become more of a priority than the workers who made it all possible.
Work and employment have been, and still are one of the prominent reasons why so many Asians continue to immigrate to the United States. As early as the Gold Rush in 1840s, when gold was discovered in the Sacramento Valley in California, which led many Chinese to come to the U.S. to find their fortune and return home rich, Asians (primarily Chinese then) had been coming to the United States. In addition to working in the gold mines, Chinese also worked as small merchants, domestics, farmers, grocers, and starting in 1865, as railroad workers on the famous Transcontinental Railroad project.
Another large debate in the issues and impacts of obesity is the responsibility of employer’s. Especially for those whose obesity comes from a sedentary lifestyle. Or perhaps need the preventative measures of keeping obesity at bay. A hot topic on the rise is whether or not employers should be mandated to give employees a work-out period in their schedule. The employers could offer employee’s incentives for utilizing resources (a company gym, discounted memberships, and dietician, walking a company track) and by using the resources keep costs low. Though initially it could be costly to take on the responsibility to offer extra incentives to employee’s it could offer long term potential savings. (Villareal, Apovian, Kushner, and Klein 2005) Those whose companies offer various programs and actively engage in them express more happiness, productivity, a greater quality of life, and overall better health. Better health allows for employee’s to serve their employers better. They use less sick pay, keep insurance premiums low, and are more likely to be in tune with their daily job. So while the initial cost may be high, the long term financial gain of a happy, healthy, productive team is hard not to invest in!