This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Justin Flint, 27, a software engineer at an oven manufacturing factory near Seattle, Washington. His employment and progression has been verified ...

The president responded by raising his middle finger, a video shows.

We often romanticize the American industrial era—the “Arsenal of Democracy,” the sheer scale of production, and the promised opportunity. But for the millions of men and women who clocked in daily, ...