American Factory

By reading this koob, you will learn how an American factory got a second chance from a high-tech Chinese company and moved forward through optimism, cultural exchange, and international friendship.

You will also learn how:

• Blue-collar American workers received a fresh start from a Chinese company

• Cultural differences led to both positive exchange and workplace setbacks

• Workplace conditions and workers’ rights radically differ between the U.S. and China

• A Chinese company in the U.S. prevented their American workers from unionizing

• The future of work depends on how governments and businesses deal with automation

Because of free trade and China becoming the world’s leading exporter, many blue-collar American workers suffered the harsh consequences of prolonged job loss and economic depression. The community of Dayton, Ohio came head to head with this reality when the local General Motors plant closed on December 23, 2008, taking away 10,000 local jobs. But in 2010, Chinese companies started reopening American factories, heavily investing in U.S. manufacturing. Discover how a Chinese billionaire revived a factory, bringing in American and Chinese workers who, together, faced the difficulties of cultural clashes, unionization, and automation.