American Factory - Grade: A PDF

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Yuxi Song American Factory Question One: Three reasons that motivated Fuyao workers Cut in compensation – When a General Motors plant closed in 2008, most of the employees moved to Fuyao. These employees talk about the setbacks that they experienced with the transition, with one having gone from earning more than $29 per hour in their old job to $13 in the new one (Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar, 2019). Some of the things that this reason reveals about these employees' lives are that these companies did not appreciate their skills and hard work enough to meet their basic requirements. Their previous lives were better than the current situation as some of them had to settle for rental rooms, while others had health issues, including missing teeth. The problem of cut compensations was a hard reason because better payment and prospects are essential for employees. Long working hours - While the Chinese at the firm were happy working six days a week, Americans wanted a representation that would request for them to rest on weekends. Chinese were delighted to work overtime hours, which the Americans were profusely against. In one scene, the American manager and the Chinese manager discuss how "chatty" the American employees are and how they would love to place a duct tape on their mouths to keep them focused (Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar, 2019). This reason presents an aspect of the worker's lives that communicates the disadvantages of their jobs. In another scene, a woman talks about the impact of her work life on her family life, saying that she has one day off a month. She does not get to see her children, how they behave and watch them grow up. The sense that she must keep working regardless of the situations makes this a hard reason. Poor relationship between the management and the employees – American Factory highlights the hostility between the employers and the employees. The sudden and significant

change in wages and culture displays Fuyao's monopsony in the industry. For the organization, Dayton, Ohio, was a small town which increases its monopsony power and control over workers (Dargis, 2019). The management decided to set wages without consulting the workers and other parties because it was a large company that has a competitive advantage. It was confident that all skilled workers would want to work at the firm without question. However, this soft reason worsened the relationship between the company and its workers, calling for a union organizing campaign.

Question Two: Actions of the company The first manner that the organization attempted to crush any hints of a union representation is by encouraging and publicizing the Chinese culture of regimentation and submission and adopting Jack Ma's "966" system of working from 9 AM to 9 PM for six days a week. The organization seemed to support this culture to discredit the Americans and anyone who wished to vote "Yes" on union representation by making them feel bad for having those thoughts. They called them lazy for wanting lunch breaks and told them that their services were decadent and limiting productivity. Secondly, Fuyao threatened to retaliate against employees by firing them from the firm if they voted in favour of unionization. One of the employees in the film, Lamantia, says that she had high hopes for Fuyao after being laid off by General Motors. However, she says that the firm targeted her because it was aware that she had concerns to join a union. One day, when she refused to lift twice the number of glasses with a forklift because of safety reasons, she got fired (Dunn, 2019). Other strategies that Fuyao implemented to ensure that it was union-free included using supervisors to spy on employees' activities, promising them better wages and benefits, and interrogating them.

Question Three: Unfair labour practices Discrimination – The organization divided the employees into two groups based on their culture, tenure of their employment, and their labor activities. The management utilized the Chinese culture and organizational culture at the workplace to discourage American membership in labor unions (Schladen, 2020). Another form of discrimination lay in the sense that it exempted the Chinese from the terms and conditions and consequences of engaging in a union campaign practice. It was willing to go easy on the Chinese and harsh and more stringent on the American workers. Interference and Coercion – The employer interfered with the employers and coerced the exercise of their rights. The management sent supervisors to make threatening statements and question workers who wanted to practice their labor rights. Also, the firm refused to bargain saying that any attempt to strike would result in automatic termination.

Question Four: NLRB process for handling ULP charges Firstly, the NLRB ensures transparency in the investigation and when solving unfair labor practices. This concept enabled it to capture and judge Fuyao for the violation of Section of the NLRB Act. It informs the party offering evidence of all the potential consequences of their actions, followed by the appraisal of the employer on the same. Secondly, the Regional Director reviews the attorneys at the Division of Advice on the significant specifications of the case. The decision generally takes up to 14 weeks, giving the parties involved the opportunity to solve the issues on their own before it escalates. If the NLRB collects enough evidence to support the charges, it reviews the parties and guarantees that they would provide a platform to consider essential settlements. The Board then assesses the case seeking for common allegations such as threats, unlawful

interrogations, promises, and other activities aimed at discouraging and countering unionization. The body selects the best remedy for the situation and holds one party accountable like it did in the Fuyao case.

Question Five: Scenes in the story I have already mentioned the scene that I found to have a considerable impact on the viewer. In this scene, a woman talks in Chinese about her work and family life. She says that she has numerous responsibilities that do not allow her to take breaks and visit her family. She says that she gets one or two days off per month. She states that she had not seen her children in a long time and that she missed them so much. She hardly knows them, and they do not know her the way mothers should understand their children. She is unaware of their perception of her, but they know that their mother is working. She goes silent when asked about who takes care of her children, and at that point, you could see the pain in her eyes. This scene shows the detrimental effects of long working hours and that the persons that suffer are the workers' loved ones. It learned that employment should not take much of a person's life as they should attend to other demands like family and their relationships.

References Dargis, M. (2019). 'American Factory' Review: The New Global Haves And Have-Nots

(Published 2019). [online] Nytimes.com. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/20/movies/american-factory-review.html [Accessed 4 December 2020]. Dunn, S. (2019). Movie Review And Analysis: American Factory. [online] Medium. Available at: https://medium.com/swlh/movie-review-and-analysis-american-factoryd52912c03e14 [Accessed 4 December 2020]. Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar. (2019). American Factory. https://www.netflix.com/keen/title/81090071?source=35 Schladen, M. (2020). Oscar-Winning 'American Factory' Leads To Scrutiny Of ChineseOwned Dayton-Area Factory. [online] Cincinnati.com. Available at: https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2020/02/27/american-factory-leads-federalinvestigation-fuyao-glass-america/4890301002/ [Accessed 4 December 2020]....