I don't usually post here but today kind of had me thinking about how blue collar labor here in America is really fucked right now, at least where I am. I hope this isn't too wordy but if it is oh well, half story and the other half is a thought piece I guess.
I work in an industrial plant, we create forklift counterweights out of hot iron (iron so hot jt can literally melt your skin off to the bone no joke) Currently I am in an area where the forklift piece is knocked out of its mold, it's my job to pick up the hot iron slag, plastic and sand and such and dispose of it in a timely manner using various tools such as a sledgehammer iron rake and good ol elbow grease which there is a lot of because it's hot as fuck.
My co worker is an older gentleman, been working in factories his whole life which is clear to see when you notice hes missing a finger and has trouble breathing, I've only done food service and warehouse work most of my life, really missing the warehouse world right now.
But back on topic, I'm doing my thing picking up this hot ass heavy iron and busting up the slag so it's easier to dispose of and he's on the backside struggling to clean his area of the machine. I finish and decide not to turn my machine back on as I see him struggling through the window and decide to help
I walk over and ask if he's okay to which he replies “I should have went to college” and we both laugh but it's really not funny, knowing his background college was never really a viable option especially when in this rural shithole side of the good ol U.S.A you're taught that you as a man should be breaking your back and drinking beers because that's what a good ol boy does and being smart is for people who can afford it.
I told him to take a rest as he wasn't looking very good and clearly struggling and I felt bad like if you can help someone you should right?
So we finish up and I go back and start my machine up to which my Supervisor comes by and says “don't leave your area, we can't afford to lose any time we're close to being on overtime again” in a less than friendly tone.
After about an hour he passes and I asked him “Hey sorry for the hold up I just felt bad watching him back there”
And he said something I only half agree with which was “he chose to work here, you need to stop feeling bad for people”
I just can't help but think it's not his choice, or anyone's choice to work in such conditions, a lot of my coworkers are ex felons and this is their only way of making decent pay, same with the immigrants they are there because it's their only hope of getting hired in America without speaking English, and then there's this older generation was brought up to believe that anything can be achieved with hard work and if you haven't achieved you didn't work hard enough, they were promised something that Imo doesn't exist any more, and they're angry and beyond tired but are brought up to not complain about these sorts of things, because part of being a man is being in pain learning to deal with it I guess?
Me idk what I'm doing or why I'm working here, I have warehouse management experience but it's not something I feel like doing anymore, I don't really know what I'm doing with my life, but I am just sad to see how the blue collar worker is treated in these poorer sides of America in the current year.
Edit: non union job btw