Blue Collar Work

I. Overview/Summary of Article

The article I chose, America’s Best-Paying Blue-Collar Jobs, written by a Forbes staff writer, Jacquelyn Smith, identifies the highest-paying blue-collar jobs. This article was written on June 5, 2012 so we can relate relatively well to this data, however, the figures used in the article were in relation to 2011 data.

Jacquelyn Smith states “We commonly associate hefty paychecks with briefcases and neckties” (1); however, that generalization has become a thing of the past. “Technology has transformed that meaning dramatically”. (2) Some of the best-paying jobs only require a high school education but most of them require apprenticeships and certifications that can become just as extensive as a college education.

II. Main Issues of the Article

One must define the term Blue-Collar to completely understand the issues behind this article. Merriam-Webster defines Blue-Collar as “of, relating to or constituting the class of wage earners whose duties call for the work clothes or protective clothing” (3). It is also often categorized to those who perform manual labor. Blue-Collar workers are generally those behind the scenes that make everything flow and run smoothly.

Union membership workers are declining in today’s age. So it is surprising that the Blue-Collar-Worker, especially the labor-intensive workers, can be considered a high-wage earner. But some of the highest wage earners, making in the six-figure category, are the laborers, operators, and repairers. But after reading through the list of the top wage earners in the Blue-Collar category, most of the jobs included work that had the potential to be quite dangerous, for example, elevator installers, rotary drill operators, and electrical power-line installers and repairers.

III. Impacts of the Main Issues on Organizations and Potential Results

During her research, Jacquelyn Smith found elevator installers and repairers to be at the top of the list in terms of...