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JVS

(61,935 posts)

16. So that he could rule over his employees with an iron fist.

Reply to vinny9698 (Original post)

Sat Nov 9, 2013, 04:44 PM

Nov 2013

Last edited Sat Nov 9, 2013, 05:37 PM - Edit history (1)

I like good wages, but as someone whose family had a lot of people working at Ford in the middle part of the 20th century, everything I've heard from them indicates that Henry Ford was what we'd call a control freak in modern parlance. The guy had an army of spies he sent around to snoop on employees, and it wasn't just union organizers he was after. I've heard of people being fired for offenses as small as putting salt and pepper on their food before tasting it (Ford thought it was wasteful to add to the food before tasting it to see if it was seasoned enough). You can't get away with such eccentricity paying the prevailing wage, you have to offer more to keep people lined up for your antics.

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Minimum wage challenge: Why did Henry Ford double his employees wages? [View all] vinny9698 Nov 2013 OP

everything I've ever read dlwickham Nov 2013 #1

Me too. ScreamingMeemie Nov 2013 #3

He was a raging anti-Semite. Behind the Aegis Nov 2013 #13

Wow... How amazing is it that I spent 27 years living within 20 miles ScreamingMeemie Nov 2013 #22

He bankrolled the publication of the "Protocols" libel Recursion Nov 2013 #26

Henry Ford was a brilliant business person, but he was a corrosive ant-semite and bluestate10 Nov 2013 #30

Henry Ford increased wages because he couldn't get employees without doing it. Taitertots Nov 2013 #2

To work at Ford motors when Henry was running it, was to lose your job if you shraby Nov 2013 #10

He wanted a stable and experienced labor force hack89 Nov 2013 #31

To keep his labour force, turnover was too high arthritisR_US Nov 2013 #4

+1 The myth of happy consumers is just myth leftstreet Nov 2013 #23

Ya, that was my understanding. I don't think he had an arthritisR_US Nov 2013 #29

Union organizers were creeping around the corner. demosincebirth Nov 2013 #5

Not really. former9thward Nov 2013 #19

I was not referring to the UAW demosincebirth Nov 2013 #25

Its telling that you don't say who you were referring to... former9thward Nov 2013 #28

I believe this is the right answer Major Nikon Nov 2013 #27

Too much money!! RobertEarl Nov 2013 #6

Yeah but after he gave them a raise he had to lay them off. Kingofalldems Nov 2013 #7

So his workers could afford to buy the cars they were making (his cars). Greybnk48 Nov 2013 #8

Me too BuelahWitch Nov 2013 #12

Same here 1000words Nov 2013 #15

Higher min wage would lead to more job openings due to people being able to JaneyVee Nov 2013 #9

Ford paid high wages to make a market for his products. Walmart does the same. patricia92243 Nov 2013 #11

Because he was a socialist? libdem4life Nov 2013 #14

So that he could rule over his employees with an iron fist. JVS Nov 2013 #16

THIS dairydog91 Nov 2013 #18

Exactly. If your idea of how to spend your money was buying a Ford and driving out to the country.. JVS Nov 2013 #21

I don't know about the salt thing, but he had a problem if you drank or if your wife had a job Incitatus Nov 2013 #24

He wanted them to be able to afford his cars. snagglepuss Nov 2013 #17

Ford raised wages because he had to. He also didn't have to answer to shareholders hughee99 Nov 2013 #20