Lies, damned lies and statistics

Mark Twain is credited with first uttering those words. I'll buy that. But I want to talk only about damned lies.

My great disappointment today is that so many Americans are totally ignorant about history... and have no particular interest in learning the facts.

The other day I heard someone, speaking on behalf of the Wisconsin labor unions in their dispute with Wisconsin Governor Walker, that America owed the forty-hour work week to labor unions.

Sorry, folks! That is a damned lie.

In 1913, Henry Ford brought the moving assembly line to his fledgling factory for building Ford Model T cars. The assembly line worked well, but it was tough on workers. If a worker paused a moment to catch his breath, the car he was working on moved on down the line, minus the part or adjustment he was supposed to make. The frustration was so great, many workers just quit their job.

Henry Ford brought in new workers. but these new people did not know how to do the job and more problems resulted. So, Mister Ford changed things.. he doubled... yes doubled the pay to workers on the line, reduced the day to eight hours, and reduced the work week to five days... the forty-hour week! 1914! Henry Ford!

(Toyoto, after meeting with Henry Ford, later further improved on the problem by giving workers the ability to stop the line for a moment!)

So, when the spokesman for organized labor says America has the union movement to thank for the forty-hour week... it is just.... yes... a damned lie!