1914 Henry Ford boosted the line workers' salary

 Video #14 Advent 2011 - Visit http://bit.ly/FordAdvent for more. The massively increased productivity enabled by Henry Ford's revolutionary moving assembly line methods not only reduced the time to build a Model T chassis from around 12 hours to nearer 1.5hours, but it also allowed Ford to give something back to his workers. In 1914, Henry Ford left a significant legacy by boosting the line workers' salary to $5 for an eight hour day, as opposed to the previous rate of $2.34 for a nine hour day. This was more than just an early Christmas present or a bonus. It was a move that many cite as being the starting point of the 'middle class', a fair wage for a fair day's work, and a belief in giving jobs to the right person, no matter what age, sex or ethnic origin. It allowed thousands of Ford employees to rise out of relative poverty and enjoy the type of conditions that workers across the world expect today.