Some economists, the carmaker Henry Ford for the jump to the American middle class in the 20th century when he hiked the factory wages in January 1914 Up to $ 5More than twice the average wages for an eight -hour working day.
More than 100 years later because he “hardly gets through the reality of many employees,” said Ford CEO Jim Farley that he took a page from the founder’s game book.
The managing director of the automobile manufacturer recognized the need to change at his workplace when he spoke the trade union contract with veteran employees during the contract negotiations and learned that young Ford employees had several jobs due to low wages and had inadequate sleep in one interview With the journalist and biographer Walter Isaacson at the Aspen Ideas Festival on Friday.
“The older workers who were in the company said:” None of the young people want to work here. Jim, you pay $ 17 an hour and you are so stressed, “said Farley.
Farley learned that some workers also had jobs in Amazon, where they worked for eight hours before they were in a seven -hour shift at Ford and only slept three or four hours. As a result, the company made temporary workers full -time employees and made it for higher wages, profit sharing and better coverage of health care. The transition was outlined 2019 contract negotiations With the United Auto Workers (UAW), with temporary workers being full -time after two years of continuous employment at Ford.
“It wasn’t easy,” said Farley. “It was expensive. But I think these are the changes we have to make in our country.”
Ford’s own decision to double the factory wages in 1914 was not altruistic, but a strategy to attract a stable workforce and offer its own employees an incentive to be able to afford Ford products.
“He said,” I do it because I want my factory worker buy my cars. If you earn enough money, you will buy my own product, “said Farley.” In a way, it is a self -fulfilling prophecy. ”
Problems putting on young business workers
Farley, a supporter of the growing productivity of the US production to support the essential economy, has campaigned for young employees to have strong trading experiences.
“Our governments really have to seriously take investments in commercial schools and qualified business seriously,” he said. “They go to Germany, each of our factory workers has an apprentice who begins in the Junior High School. Each of these jobs has a person who is trained for eight years.”
Although the USA see 3.8 million new jobs in production by 2033 after Deloitte And Manufacturing Institute, the younger generation of employees, has largely turned away from the career path. Gen z is the enrollment at commercial schools on the riseBut the latest generation that enters the workforce Avoid factory jobsAccording to a study of 2023 Soter Analytics, citing low wages. US manufacturing jobs in the USA have an average $ 25 per hour– over 51,890 per year – just shortly before the Average American content of $ 66,600.
American car manufacturers such as Ford may try to make it appealing for young workers, to start career in production, but they are still not immune to the complaints of employees over wages. In 2023, thousands of UAW members strike, including 16,600 Ford employees Achieving a contract agreement In October this year, which, apart from the increasing wages, also reduced the period that a temporary worker is required full -time.
From the perspective of management, Farley described the strike “completely unnecessary” and claimed that the improvement of the wages of the commercial workers is not only on Ford.
“We won’t only hope that it will be better,” he said. “We have the resources and after 120 years we have the know-how to solve these problems, but we need more help from others.”
