I believe Ford Motor Company came out with the $5 per day five day work week in about 1914. I didn't know (prior to this) Ford paid bonuses, at least in the years listed below, according to Ford Board of Director Meeting minutes.
It would be interesting to know how many other automakers paid bonuses at the time.
1905 - $10 per employee:
1908 - up to 7 1/2% of salary:
1909 - up to 10% of salary:
1910 - 10%
courtesy THF Acc 512 Box 4 Folder 1903-1913
Rob,
Good stuff!
10% of a year's pay in 1910 was pretty darn good.
I would certainly appreciate that today.
Merry Christmas and have a happy new year.
Larry
Neat info Rob!
Where in the heck do you find this stuff, let alone the time to look for it?? Glad to have you around doing research. Very informative. I don't have the patience for all that, let alone the attention span I guess. (Adult A.D.D.??)
Larry, Thanks.
Tim, often I start thinking I'm going to look at one thing, and end up at an entirely different place. There is so much info available online now a person just needs to be a little creative to find it.
Using the "inflation calculator" below:
http://www.davemanuel.com/inflation-calculator.php?
The ten dollar bonus in 1905 would be the equivalent of $263 now (I've noticed this varies widely by calculator). If the "typical" auto worker income was $770 per year in 1910 ($2.50 per day times six days a week, minus five days "Holidays", or 305 days per year), a 10% bonus would be $77 (great big ole SWAG). Using the calculator, that equates to about a $1900 today (again, taking big guesses). If anyone has a better estimate it would be good to hear it.
Merry Christmas,
Rob
Just think of it as an extra one month wages. I would take that anytime.
I would not be surprised if Ford paid their employees by the month anyway. Getting paid every 2 weeks is a more modern practice.
I remember getting a free Turkey when I worked at Ford Assy Plant back in 70's. Same at BGF before that. Not much of a bonus and more trouble than it was worth but we were happy.
When I joined Collins Radio in 1961, the Christmas bonus was $5. When Rockwell took over in 1973, we lost our $5 Christmas bonus but gained dental insurance. For most of we engineers, that $5 bonus was less than 0.1%.
Rob, Thanks for all the interesting info you post and keep it going in the New Year.
I just got to thinking...the only Christmas Bonus I ever got was the comment... "see ya next week"!! Oh well, not complaining really. Was just glad to have and keep a long term career so I could retire young!!
It appears Ford released this information for good PR too (as they should):
So I guess there were no Christmas bonuses while the Model K was being produced in 1906 - 7?
Well Royce if you read the information the bonuses were paid to everyone who had two or more years with the Ford Company. That would be 1906 -07. So my guess the bonus money came from the sale of Model K's! as well as other cars.
Dennis,
Merry Christmas!
Actually, if you read from the top, Rob has covered the years 1905 (no Model K's built yet) 1908 (No Model K's built that year, selling previously built 1907 models still) and 1909 (no Model K's built that year, still trying to sell left over 1907 models).
What an asinine thing to write. Must be enjoying a wonderful Christmas.
I guess the same thing can be said for the workers who built Models A Nd C (1903 and 1904).
The Grinch has competition, and I think he is losing.
Rob, do you simply not have any data for bonuses during years of Model K production? What is the problem with discussing the interesting data you bring to the forum?
Obviously there were left over cars in several model years.
Royce,
I don't know where you learned how to read and where you learned math or perhaps you have no ability to comprehend.
READ THE MINUTES ABOVE!
1905 an across the board bonus of $10.00 to office employees
In 1908 anyone with 1 year service 5% bonus
2 years service 7 1/2% bonus. Simple math 1908 minus two is 1906 so that would include 1907!
In 1909 the board authorized bonuses AGAIN for 2 years service and AGAIN simple math 1909 minus 2 years equals 1907 and 1908!
In 1910 the board authorized bonuses for 3 years service AGAIN simple math 1910 minus 3 equals 1907.
WOW 1907 keeps appearing in the board minutes for bonuses THE YEAR THEY SOLD MODEL K's AND OTHER CARS! I guess Ford wasn't loosing money if the board kept giving it away as bonuses!
OK Dennis so again my question was regarding the years 1906 and 1907. Apparently no bonuses were given - or - Rob simply does not have the data.
"Actually, if you read from the top, Rob has covered the years 1905 (no Model K's built yet) 1908 (No Model K's built that year, selling previously built 1907 models still) and 1909 (no Model K's built that year, still trying to sell left over 1907 models)."
I printed material for years 1905, 1908, 1909 and 1910, because those are the years I had information about. Somehow this thread then "morphed" into":
"So I guess there were no Christmas bonuses while the Model K was being produced in 1906 - 7?"
The Model K was produced from 1906 through 1908. Probably the last Model K were built by the spring of 1908, although I'm speculating about this and have no "hard and fast" information. We know 119 Model K were reported sold by FMC audit records for FY 1908 (Oct 1 1907-Sep 30 1908). For FY 1909 42 Model K were reported sold (as were 73 Model S and 37 Model N). If one is trying to "sully" the Model K by suggesting an issue with selling 42 in 1909, you should be prepared to cast aspersions on Model S and N too, as they too were sold after their model years ended.
So which is it? Were Models K, S and N a financial albatross around the neck of Ford because all were sold in numbers following their production period? That seems to be the implication this thread drifted to. Doesn't make much sense to suggest they were to me.
Poop! I'm still standing at the mail box.Even though i retired from GM,once i did get a paycheck from Ford! Bud.PS,I hope Everyone got everything they wanted? I needed a new MTFCI jacket as i have about worn out my first two.The new one came and the logo on the back has been changed and it look's like poop!Bud.
Gosh Rob, I don't think there was any sullying involved. I just asked whether there was any Christmas bonus for the other two years. Since you started the thread I always assume it is Model K related in some way.
Why would you assume it was about Model K's? Rob owns several pre T's.
But I'm sure you if anyone would know what ASSUME means
Gosh Royce, how could I take it other than you thought it was Model K related? Even though you claim the years of Model K production weren't included in the years that the thread is about.
Gosh, I don't know.
From my iPhone
This started out as an interesting topic...
Derek,
Your right. I was hoping someone would pick this up and tell us something about the $5 dollar work week. I saw something a while back that said James Couzens, Ford's business managing wizard, was responsible for the move.
Does anyone have more information?
Rob
I'm sure getting tired of some opinionated, trouble-making, self-serving, obnoxious jerks screwing-up so many of the forum's features.
From now on, if their name appears on any thread, I'll skip it...I don't need the aggravation.