Rivethead Hamper Quotes

The article begins by describing the average factory worker as well as some basic observations about day to day factory life.

Employees in coal mining are more likely to be killed or get a non-fatal injury or illness and often do not see the sun for days at a time. On the other hand, Rudy would have to work at a steel mill. After high school, Ruettiger went to work at a steel mill but after his best friend died at work there, he knew it was time to get out and chase his dream of playing college football. If this did not work out for him, of course, he would have to return to work at the mill. These two men worked hard to reach their

The writing portray the harsh conditions and explored lives of immigrants in the United States and meat packing industry conditions. America's meat production has always been a large industry met with demands from those both inside and outside of the United States, which is why it is important to ensure its' stability and success. By the late 1800s meat was in high demand, so companies were producing at a faster rate than they were comfortable with and discrepancies were growing with it. Meatpacking factories used the most recent immigrants and migrants as strikebreakers in labor actions taken by other workers, also usually immigrants or early descendants. Workers working in the factory would easily be infected by diseases carried out by the dead meat and animals. In addition, risks of injuries were resulted by machinery work and rat foods mixed into the machine. Rats and insects were everywhere and they would often being mixed up into raw meats. However, most readers were more concerned with the exposure of health violations and unsanitary practices in the American meatpacking

“People were forced to work in harsh, dangerous conditions in order to be able to provide for their families” (Document 8). Although most people were grateful to have a job, the conditions that they were forced to work for in order to provide for their families were unfair to them, and their families. Just because they obtained a job one day, doesn’t mean they would have it the next day, for example, if an employee was sick, or injured and had to miss a day of work the employee wasn’t guaranteed to continually have the job after they finally recovered. “I am at work in a spinning room tending four sides of warp which is one girl’s work” (Document 1) working conditions such as these are very harsh for the employees, not only do they have to keep up with the work of four people. Not only do the employees have to keep up with the sea of work, they also have to attempt not to get injured with the very harsh conditions lots of employees did in fact end up with serious injuries. “5 in the morning till 9 at night…” (Document 7) Those were the harsh working hours according to twenty-three year old Elizabeth Bentley. Long hours such as those were very common for factory workers, which made life hard for employees. Not only was harsh working conditions bad, but also the worst consequence that came about through the Industrial Revolution was child

In Document B, which was explained by David A. Wells, an engineer and economist, was informative on how working condition were analogous to a military organization, “in which the individual no longer works as independently as formerly, but as a private in the ranks, obeying orders, keeping step, as it were, to the tap of the drum, and having nothing to say as to the plan of his work, of its final completion, or of its ultimate use and distribution. In short, the people who work in the modern factory are, as a rule, taught to do one thing—to perform one and generally a simple operation; and when there is no more of that kind of work to do, they are in a measure helpless.” (Document B) Which meant that workers at the factory basically don’t hold responsibility to themselves, as workers mainly are only trained to one job, relating to David A. Well theory. Document F sourced by Samuel Gompers, also portrays how the conditions were explaining that there was too many workers trying to fit in one factory place, and poor conditions. This was how union were created, to regain benefits, as well for better working

There was an announcement, given by Roger Smith, stating that many of the General Motors factories would be closing down. Hamper describes it as “My beleaguered hometown was like some banged-up middleweight resting its rump on the ropes, covering up its soft belly, hoping to only last out the round” (68). The town of Flint was facing yet another recession, and in the process of becoming the poorest town in Michigan. For Hamper, it was either stay in Flint where there were no jobs, or relocate to Pontiac, Michigan and commute for work. Prior to transferring to Pontiac, he would be laid off for about nine months. Hamper collected unemployment and quickly found that he was getting more money by collecting rather than working. Finally the time came for him to commute to Pontiac. Hamper finishes working in Pontiac and moves back to working for General Motors in

However, the sources differed immensely through the use of language. In fact, one of the themes most evident amongst the language that set the sources apart rhetorically was the tone. Throughout the article “Blue-Collar Brilliance,” Mike Rose set a very serious tone discussing the matter of economic inequality. For example, Rose conveys “As a foreman, Joe constantly faced new problems and became a constant multi-tasker, evaluation a flurry of demands quickly, parceling out physical and mental resources, keeping a number of ongoing events in his mind, returning to whatever task had been interrupted, and maintain a cool head under the pressure of grueling production schedules” (1037). As Rose portrays the life of a Foreman, he keeps a very serious tone to convey to the audience how real these struggles are. Although Joe may have not received a formal education passed middle school, he still has to work efficiently and intelligently in his own manner. At the same

This tragedy pointed out the negatives of sweatshop conditions of the industrialization era. It emphasized the worst part of its times the low wages, long hours, and unsanitary working conditions were what symbolized what sweatshops were all about.

Trapped by the constant work schedules and fear of losing their jobs, the men could only hope to escape their daily routine and "tell the mills to go to hell"(33).

It always begins with a promise. A promise for better living conditions, higher wage, more opportunities, etc. This is when hope is established within an hard working individual. In the video, “New England cotton mills” and the reading, “Life in the Iron Mills”, there are similarities in regards to working conditions, solidarity among workers, and owner attitudes. Both mills show identifiable occasions of mistreatment of workers, although there are clear differences in quality and benefits offered by each institution. The purpose of this essay is to compare discuss issues of worker mistreatment, solidarity, class, and fulfillment of everyday life in regards to work.

The factory is a deafening cacophony of machinery. The air around you is smothering and dusty. Diligent workers handle the looms—1, 2, even 3 machines, beads of sweat dripping down their concentrated faces. The work is exhausting; however, you manage to survive a 13 hour shift, as the benefits are a decent bundle of cash, far more than you could ever earn anywhere else. On the other hand, some workers are dissatisfied with the conditions they must work in—going as far to sign a petition. In “Lyddie” by Katherine Patterson, Lyddie, a hardworking13 year-old factory worker, contemplates on whether or not she should sign said petition. She is confronted with the challenge of determining which means more to her--her job or the safety of her and

Day in day out, without ever having any knowledge or input into any of the other tasks related to completion of the project. This monotony in the workplace spills over into the daily life of many factory workers and affects how they live their life outside of the factory after the whistle blows as much as it does while they’re on the assembly line. This spillover was observed by Hamper of his Grandfather. “Straight home from work, dinner, the evening news and immediately into bed at 7:00 p.m. He arose each weekday at 3:30 a.m., fixed himself some black coffee, turned on the kitchen radio, smoked a handful of Lucky Strikes and waited to leave for work at a quarter to five.

All three authors held varying opinions on life in the Lowell factory and only on few points did they agree about certain aspects of factory life. Given that one of the authors was, in fact, a worker, the opinions given are not just from outsiders looking in, but also from those who know the internals of the system. With this information, conclusions could be made which explore parts of factory life, including how it looked from the outsiders’ point of view, what it really felt like on the inside and if the founders of the Lowell factory accomplished their goal of benefitting themselves as well as the workers.

But beyond making the families dependent on the machine and its masters for food, the machine has also forced the men to rely upon the machine for their sense of purpose. Without the sound of the factory and the schedule of maintaining the train, the men feel a temporary emptiness.

While he earns a great deal more money than his father did, he faces an unpredictable future, as he doesn't know where his employment will take him, or for how long it will last. Enrico's work was mundane and boring; however he knew exactly where he would be and how much he would be earning when he retired. Sennett's article examines the effect of these new work places on the people who populate them and on society in general.