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Lotta retconning with Henry Ford. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/one-hundred-and-three-years-ago-today-henry-ford-introduced-assembly-line-his-worke

Lotta retconning with Henry Ford. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/one-hundred-and-three-years-ago-today-henry-ford-introduced-assembly-line-his-workers-hated-it-180961267/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/one-hundred-and-th... > In 1913 alone, Ford had to hire more than 52,000 workers for a workforce that at any one time numbered 14,000, writes Swan. In an attempt to to stem the tide of turnover, he upped the company’s wage rate to an unheard-of $5 per eight-hour workday. The norm for that time was about $2.25 for a nine-hour workday

jddj 2y ago
Ha, sounds like it was indeed spin. Interesting what sticks, because I've read it twice recently, once even in a fairly left-leaning setting.
- AnthonyMouse 2y ago
  It's spin from both sides though. Ford pays more and says "look what I have given you in my great benevolence." Unions say "look what we have negotiated for you through our great struggle." But really what happened is Ford needed to hire a lot of people so the price of labor went up through supply and demand.
  - robertlagrant 2y ago
    > what happened is Ford needed to hire a lot of people so the price of labor went up through supply and demand This is the best way to drive up salaries, as it's closely tied to demand. Just as Silicon Valley salaries and benefits - some of the best in the world, from non-institutionalised sources, anyway - were produced via competition, and not via strikes.