▁defined ▁his ▁child hood ▁in ▁Fl int , ▁Michigan , ▁and ▁how ▁the ▁company ▁was ▁the ▁primary ▁economic ▁and ▁social ▁hub ▁of ▁the ▁town . ▁He ▁points ▁out ▁that ▁Fl int ▁is ▁the ▁place ▁where ▁the ▁Fl int ▁sit - down ▁strike ▁occurred , ▁resulting ▁in ▁the ▁birth ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁Auto ▁Work ers . ▁He ▁reve als ▁that ▁his ▁hero es ▁were ▁the ▁Fl int ▁n atives ▁who ▁had ▁escaped ▁the ▁opp ress ive ▁life ▁in ▁G M ' s ▁fact ories , ▁including ▁" Fl int ' s ▁most ▁famous ▁native ▁son ", ▁game ▁show ▁host ▁Bob ▁E ub anks . ▁ ▁Initial ly , ▁Moore ▁ach ieves ▁his ▁dream ▁of ▁avoid ing ▁blue - col la red ▁factory ▁life ▁after ▁being ▁h ired ▁by ▁Mother ▁Jones ▁magazine ▁in ▁San ▁Francisco , ▁but ▁this ▁vent ure ▁fails ▁for ▁him ▁and ▁he ▁ultimately ▁travel s ▁back ▁to ▁Fl int . ▁As ▁he ▁returns ▁( in ▁ 1 9 8 6 ), ▁G M ▁announ ces ▁the ▁lay offs ▁of ▁thousands ▁of ▁Fl int ▁auto ▁workers , ▁whose ▁jobs ▁will ▁go ▁to ▁che aper , ▁non - union ized ▁labor ▁in ▁Mexico . ▁G M ▁makes ▁this ▁announ cement ▁even ▁though ▁the ▁company ▁is ▁ach ieving ▁record ▁prof its . ▁ ▁Dis gu ised ▁as ▁a ▁TV ▁journalist , ▁Moore ▁inter views ▁some ▁auto ▁workers ▁in ▁Fl int ▁and ▁disco vers ▁their ▁strong ▁dis g ust ▁for ▁G M ▁chairman ▁Roger ▁B . ▁Smith . ▁Moore ▁begins ▁seeking ▁out ▁Smith ▁himself ▁to ▁confront