Debbie Werner is the face of an American workers' revolution.
In a break with decades of U.S. auto-union tradition, the prevailing wage paid to new unionized autoworkers is less than that of the average laborer producing items ranging from metal and wood products to food and beverages.
Werner has lived through it all: She joined General Motors Corp. in 2008 before its bankruptcy, lost her job when the factory closed and then was rehired in 2011 when it opened again after the bailout — joining thousands of new workers earning about half what autoworkers were paid before 2007 and without traditional pensions and retiree health care.
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