To phrase this slightly differently, you might say they dreamed of a good life for their family; working for Mr. Ford was the best way for an uneducated father

To phrase this slightly differently, you might say they dreamed of a good life for their family; working for Mr. Ford was the best way for an uneducated father to do so. Is this a dream of labor? IMO, no. The work was the vehicle to their dreams, not the dream itself. Perhaps this is too fine a delineation, but that's my view of it. Of course, such a job - a job an uneducated man or woman can be the "breadwinner" for their family with - barely exists today. My own father made $40 an hour as a lineman for Mountain Bell (plus a pension), back in the 80's. That exact same job today pays minimum wage, with no retirement benefits.