The End of Loyalty: The Rise and Fall of Good Jobs

FEATURING RICK WARTZMAN – There is a persistent and powerful myth in the US, of a past where hardworking Americans could get good paying jobs, offer fealty to their employers in exchange for fairness and loyalty, have long and satisfying careers, amass enough wealth to live comfortably on, and in general have a better life than the previous generation. There is a grain to truth to that myth for many older Americans.

Today we have the so-called “gig economy,” where workers are expected to offer themselves up as freelance contractors to a myriad of employers for few to no benefits and appallingly low wages.

What happened to the social contract that many Americans grew to expect from private employers? In a new book author Rick Wartzman explores that history through the stories of four iconic corporate giants: Coca Cola, General Motors, General Electric, and Kodak.

Rick Wartzman, Director if the KH Moon Center for a Functioning Society at the Drucker Institute, part of Claremont Graduate University. His earlier books include Obscene in the Extreme, The King of California, and What Would Drucker Do Now? His new book is called The End of Loyalty: The Rise and Fall of Good Jobs.