Bridgette "Queen" Matthews, Viking Employee

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"I made car air bags for years, but then the factory closed and I lost my job. My mom did too, after 26 years. The word on the street was that Viking was a good job, and that's true. It's the only factory that starts you at $7.50--others offer minimum wage but you cannot live off $5.15 an hour. And the benefits are great--we have short- and long-term disability, health, vision, dental. It's amazing. I'm a quality auditor for stoves, and I waitress at Giardina's. When you're a waitress, some people think they can say whatever they want because you're a servant. Fred Carl comes up, pats you on your shoulder, and asks, 'How you doing?' For Christmas, he gave everyone on the line a bonus. That night, I saw him at the restaurant and I walked up to him and gave him a hug. I just had to."

Liz Welch

Liz Welch is a National Magazine Award-winning journalist who has written for The New York Times, Real Simple, Glamour, and Inc., among other publications. She is the co-author with her siblings of the recent book The Kids Are All Right, a highly-regarded memoir of her childhood.