blue collar

Regardless of your political leanings, the struggle for fair wages and collective bargaining is fraught with drama, and Hollywood's union movies have inspired some amazing performances. With the public workers standoff in the news now, here are a few of Tinseltown's best offerings.

Mike Rowe, host of TLC's Dirty Jobs, knows a lot about tough jobs, but the toughest one he's tackling is helping America's veterans find employment. Rowe notes that joblessness for returning servicepeople is over 18%, adding "It's a scandal."

Mike Rowe's TV show Dirty Jobs puts him hip-deep into the roughest, toughest and filthiest jobs in America. But for the past two years, he's had a second occupation -- running MikeRoweWorks, a website and foundation that advocates for old-fashioned, honest blue-collar work.

Obama visits Detroit today to bolster his claims that the $86 billion spent to rescue GM and Chrysler from oblivion was well worth the jobs it has put people into, and the million or more the government says it has saved.

A friend who teaches classes on food preservation and "house holding" believes in the power of the plumber. Even before Joe became famous for the work, she was arguing that this economy called for our youth to learn trades, not technology. She has been urging her son to skip college and do...