Blue Collar Workers in the Past and Present

"Blue Collar" Workers: In the Past and Present

Although Barbara Ehrenreich's novel, "Nickel and Dimed," addresses issues that were prevalent a century ago, the same issues exist in modern society today. The topic of working conditions within the U.S. has become increasingly controversial, and will continue to do so with the increasing population of, "blue collar," workers. This issue is one that most Americans are aware of; however, Ehrenreich's novel provides valuable insight into the lives of the lower-class workers in America. The novel also presents a unique interpretation of the various difficulties encountered by, "blue collar," workers. The first-person narrative, as written by Ehrenreich herself, provides a first-hand look into such problems that debunk the validity of the principle of the, "American Dream." By observing such observations made by Ehrenreich, readers get a small glimpse of her political position. Barbara Ehrenreich has had a long history of dealing with social issues regarding worker's compensation, working conditions, and the advancement of lower-class individuals in the United States. With that being said, Ehrenreich wanted to address problems that workers in the lower-class face. Without even knowing it, she was able to highlight issues that existed not only back then, but also today as well.

Throughout the novel, Ehrenreich identified certain obstacles that such workers face; affordable, hard-working conditions, and difficult bosses, to name a few. The most intriguing component of her experiment was the fact that she was actually a member of the upper-middle class, she even had her Ph.D. in Biology. Regardless of her credentials, she faced myriad problems when working in a, "blue collar," setting: "the question was whether a single mother leaving welfare could survive without government assistance in the form of food stamps" (Ehrenreich 3). One of the issues she faced was dealing with overly-strict bosses like Ted and BJ. BJ was her manager at Jerry's who demanded a lot from Barbara, physically and emotionally. She described it as, "the less-than-nurturing management style" (Ehrenreich 25). Ted was the type of boss that adhered closely to a strict schedule that all workers must abide by. "Blue collar" workers today, in the same token, deal with the same types of bosses today. This idea of the, "perfect," boss is not a realistic one; the lower-class demographic tends to deal with bosses that are more demanding than ones in upper-class, "white collar," work environments. For example, 70 thousand union workers from Southern California went on strike in 2003-04 because of the lack of health care provided by their employer, Von's (Goldner). These two scenarios are a clear example of the sorts of problems blue collar workers deal with in regards to bad management. Yes, Ehrenreich's experiences with BJ and Ted were not as cataclysmic as the strike in LA, but the idea connecting the two is of the same essence.

The shortcomings of the, "American Dream," can be observed in both Ehrenreich's novel and society today. The biggest issue here is whether lower-class workers truly have the chance to make it to the top. Ehrenreich delves into the heart of the problem by putting herself, "in their shoes." Most Americans in the upper-class do know that "blue collar" workers have to deal with extenuating circumstances in terms of work environments, but they do not know the full extent to which such workers endure the conditions. It's not that the upper-class does not care, it is simply this way because they have not been personally exposed to such problems and truly see how devastating they can be. One of the biggest issues in the novel, as well as in today's society, is the minimal pay that the lower-class receives for the amount of physical work they do. Whether it was being a waitress at Jerry's, feeding residents at the nursing home in Maine, or organizing clothing in Wal-Mart, Ehrenreich had monetary problems right from the start. She was living, "check-to-check," meaning that all of her paycheck each week was going straight to physiological necessities such as food, water, and shelter.