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1.What measure did Ford take to accommodate the shoter work day? TO convert
the entire factory ...
2.What was the technical school developed by Ford Motor Company for?
Training ...
3.What should employees do to qualify for the minimum wage? To establish a
decent home and ...
Henry Ford should receive credit for introducing labor practices as early
as 1913 that would be considered advanced even by today’s standards. Safety
measures were improved, and the work day was reduced to eight hours, compared
with the ten-or twelve-hour day common at the time. In order to accommodate the
shorter work day, the entire factory was converted from two to three shifts. In
addition, sick leaves as well as improved medical care for those injured on the
job were instituted. The Ford Motor Company was one of the first factories to
develop a technical school to train specialized skilled laborers and an English
language school for immigrants. Some efforts were even made to hire the
handicapped and provide jobs for former convicts. The most widely acclaimed
innovation was the five-dollar-a-day minimum wage that was offered in order to
recruit and retain the best mechanics and to discourage the growth of labor
unions. Ford explained the new wage policy in terms of efficiency and profit
sharing. He also mentioned the fact that his employees would be able to purchase
the automobiles that they produced. In order to qualify for the minimum wage, an
employee had to establish a decent home and demonstrate good personal habits.
Although some criticism was directed at Ford for involving himself too much in
the personal lives of his employees, there can be no doubt that, at a time when
immigrants were being taken advantage of in frightful ways, Henry Ford was
helping many people to establish themselves in America. |
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