Improved Working Condtions
Less Hours, Higher wages
While the assembly line was highly favored by Ford, it was not as favored by the workers. After just a few days of work, laborers would quit because they found their work to be dull and exhausting. This created a serious problem for Ford; the cost of constantly hiring and training new employees was hurting the company. In addition, it was extremely difficult to maintain the speed of the assembly line when there were always so many new people being trained. Ford announced his solution to this crisis on January 5, 1914; he declared “At one stroke we will reduce the hours of labor from nine to eight and add to every man's pay a share of the profits of the house." This was the announcement of the five dollar, eight-hour day, which more than doubled the wages and reduced the workday by ninety minutes. Many critics were fast to judge Ford and say that he had made a mistake, but they were proven wrong when, on the next morning, 10,000 men showed up to work at the Ford Motor Company.
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The change did more than Ford could have ever expected it to. Ford’s workers made enough money to buy the cars they were making, so Ford was able to create the mass market he needed to keep up with his company. Also, Ford became a national sensation as thousands of newspaper published stories about him around the world.