What makes it hard, for starters, is that the factory line always goes at the same pace. This means that if you have energy and would like to work quickly, you can't. If you are feeling tired, sore or sluggish, you must keep up with the brisk, mechanical pace of the line. The job takes a physical toll.

I remember getting home from work one night and sitting down to watch a movie on the couch at 7 p.m. I woke up the next morning, still on the couch, leaving for work in the same clothes because I didn't have time to change. I was 18. My dad has worked there 40 years and will continue to do so until he retires at 65.

As a laborer in a family-owned factory, my dad is well aware who profits when the company does: The family who owns it. Educated entirely on biographies of the American founders and iconic presidents, he has a surprising knack for seeing exploitation and inequality. I saw this in action when he went on about the benefits of the Packers not having an owner.