That each generation will do better than the last is a vital part of the American Dream. But the families of auto workers no longer have that expectation. As Detroit car makers sped towards financial ruin, the unions representing workers agreed to a dual wage structure. They also signed off on deep cuts in benefits. Now, new hires earn about half of what traditional workers make.
For Changing Gears, Kate Davidson tells how this ‘reversal of fortune’ has altered their lives.