To the Point
Will Factory Jobs Save the Middle Class?
After years of decline, American manufacturing's on the upswing, due in part to rising wages in Asia. What are the prospects for highly skilled workers, union labor and America's middle class?
By Warren Olney • • 50m ListenAfter years of decline, American manufacturing is on the upswing, due in part to rising wages in Asia. What are the prospects for highly skilled workers, union labor and America's middle class? What are the consequences in this election year? Also, a Russian oil tanker slowly makes its way through the ice in Alaska, and Twinkies and Wonder Bread are in trouble, because of labor costs, more expensive ingredients and customers looking for healthier food.
Banner image: A worker installs a part while working on the assembly line at the Toledo Assembly Complex on November 16, 2011 in Toledo, Ohio. Photo by J.D. Pooley/Getty Images
In this episode
3 storiesRussian Oil Tanker Slowly Makes Its Way through Alaskan Ice
It's been a dark and stormy winter in Nome, Alaska, and a Russian oil tanker is being led through the Bering Sea by the US Coast Guard 's only operative ice-breaker built for the Arctic. It's loaded with fuel that wasn't delivered as usual during the summer. Ben Matheson reports for KNOM community-based radio in Nome.
Read the story7 minManufacturing: Heritage of the Past or Wave of the Future?
After years of decline, all the talk about a "service economy" and predictions that it might never return, manufacturing is making a comeback in the United States. The Obama Administration is making the most of it, planning a forum tomorrow on what it calls " Insourcing of American Jobs " by companies returning from foreign shores.
Read the story37 minTwinkie Maker Faces Sugar Crash
Hostess Brands , the maker of Twinkies and Wonder Bread, emerged from its first bankruptcy in 2009. Now, the company that employs 19,000 people and owes more than $860 million in debt is preparing to file for the second time around. With customers looking for healthier food, sales have been on the decline.
Read the story6 min
