A Brief Review of "American Factory:" An Appropriate Labor Day Parable

On Wednesday of last week Netflix released the documentary “American Factory.” I do not know if you have seen it yet, but encourage you to do so. The factory is the Fuyao automotive glass factory located in Dayton, and has been quite controversial because of union organization attempts and company efforts to thwart the UAW. Recently it was learned that Fuyao was fined $120,000 for the illegal firing of three employees who were organizers connected to a vote that ultimately failed.

There is a lot I could say about this film, but I have one major take-away. Namely what we witness is the reversal of a colonial relationship; the film is about power and currently who has it. Note that there is one Chinese “manager” with every American worker during training. Americans really have no voice at the plant although the company is called Fuyao Glass of America. Thus, what has happened is that the once Western dominance of colonial peoples is now reversed in a manufacturing environment located in Ohio. Of course there are many other contrasts that become apparent as the film unwinds – a Chinese work ethic of living for work while the Americans work to live; Chinese bodily leanness compared to Americans being often overweight and thus possessing the fat hands that do not handle glass sheets well. And then there is the contempt for the comments of Senator Sherrod Brown, questioning exactly “who does he think he is” for his comments about unions. 

But you have to admire the Chinese, from the Chairman of the company on down. They emphasized transparency at the start of the film, and that was certainly delivered. I think that for the most part they admire America and Americans. But they are also impatient with our work habits. While we are astonished at their lack of regard for worker safety, they cannot understand our blue collar workers lax work ethic. A number of the Fuyao employees formerly worked at GM. That should tell you something about complacency on the job. Just read Rivethead!

While many workers are glad to have their jobs, there is a dark side to it all, perhaps expected, given directors Bognar and Reichert. As the story ends, workers are being gradually replaced by machines and robots whenever possible. Will the future in 2030 be as grim as forecast, or are there other possible scenarios more uplifting and hopeful for the American blue-collar worker?