Can you or anyone think of a company that has been successfully re-invented along your lines--I mean, rising wages, better products, less environmental negatives... Whoever did that would be worth listening to.
I have spent a few minutes looking for this article but can't find it. I wish my memory was perfect enough to assert that it was in the camera and copier group, which is what I remember, and that the year was 2005. But I think this example fits the flow of your question and the spirit of the article, so didn't want to leave it out for lack of documentation...that getting good, well compensated jobs into the hands of the many is possible, even in a price sensitive consumer section of the economy. Never underestimate their intelligence, always underestimate their knowledge.
Frank Delaney ~ Ireland