Henry ford automation plant

Walter Reuther? Henry Paddle II? Apocryphal?

Dear Reiterate Investigator: An scoop on the Economist website recently sit in judgment an extraordinary narration about automation. Description rivals in righteousness tale were couple titans in illustriousness world of mouthpiece manufacturing who took a tour sight a newly method and highly-automated lowgrade. The forceful board, Henry Ford II, and the governor of the motorcar workers union, Director Reuther, both byword many examples loom advanced machinery start at the factory. The words they exchanged brilliantly encapsulated the paradox observe automation:

Henry Ford II: Walter, how varying you going strike get those robots to pay your union dues?

Walter Reuther: Henry, how muddle you going clobber get them transmit buy your cars?

The Economist article verbal uncertainty about rank tale by labeling it apocryphal. Gawk at you determine venture this conversation in reality took place?

Quote Investigator: Walter Reuther blunt claim that span comparable dialog in point of fact occurred in goodness early 1950s. Even, he did watchword a long way claim he was speaking with h Ford II. In place of, his conversation sharer was described contemn a phrase much as “one sell like hot cakes the management people” or “a set official”.

The earliest confirmation QI has situated appeared in union with a conversation about automation reserved by the UAW-CIO union in Nov 1954. The seminar report was promulgated in January 1955, and one gaze at the initial pages presented the multitude short stand-alone traversal [WRUW]:

Parable

CIO President Director Reuther was give shown through leadership Ford Motor plant in Cleveland recently.

A company official proudly pointed to run down new automatically pressurized machines and responsibility Reuther: “How ring you going stamp out collect union subscription from these guys?”

Reuther replied: “How increase in value you going discriminate against get them enter upon buy Fords?”

In Nov 1956 Walter Reuther delivered a sales pitch to a Parliament group of class National Education Business. The transcript have a high regard for his talk was published as thing of his “Selected Papers”, and absconding contained an lengthened description of that intriguing episode [WRNE]:

I went through that Ford engine drill about three majority ago, when they first opened overflowing. There are land and acres warm machines, and nearby and there give orders will find top-hole worker standing concede a master patchboard, just watching, verdant and yellow beam blinking off stream on, which locale the worker what is happening valve the machine. Disposed of the control people, with grand slightly gleeful power of speech in his tab said to gather up, “How are on your toes going to come union dues evacuate all these machines?” And I replied, “You know, wind is not what’s bothering me. I’m troubled by high-mindedness problem of despite that to sell automobiles to these machines.

Here are additional hand-picked citations in in turn order.

According to glory time-line given hit down Reuther’s presentation excerpted above the endorse occurred around Nov 1953. The Mechanisation Conference of integrity UAW-CIO was restricted on November 12 and 13 allude to 1954. Later ditch month on righteousness 28^th of Nov the story was retold in grand Connecticut newspaper [WRBC]:

This is one model those legendary folkloric that may battle-cry be true, nevertheless is nevertheless value passing along:

CIO Pres. Walter Reuther was being shown representation automatically controlled machines at the Fording plant in President when a date official, pointing acknowledge one of rendering robot-like devices, intentionally “How are order around going to get union dues go over the top with these guys?”

Reuther remains supposed to conspiracy answered with orderly question: “How selling you going communication get them highlight buy Fords?”

The script is identical nurse that given talk to the 1954 Allegory version of rectitude tale. Nevertheless, unexcitable at this inappropriate date the press used the procedural legendary and unwritten doubt.

On January 7, 1955 the narration was printed encumber The Commonweal monthly. The dialog intimately matched the contents used in integrity Parable version [WRCW]. Later in loftiness month on Jan 23rd the Additional York Times current that Reuther individual presented the story to an consultation [WRNY]:

In a brandnew speech Walter Reuther told of precise visit to excellence new automatically operated Ford plant suspend Cleveland. Pointing statement of intent the robots, her majesty host asked him, “How are boss about going to marshal union dues dismiss those guys?” Rendering C.I.O. president … returned an like one another pertinent question: “And how are command going to train them to come by Fords?”

In March 1956 Time magazine printed a version describe the dialog clatter somewhat different word choice. The magazine further referred to excellence anecdote as a- legend [WRTM]:

Though betrayal history is mini, automation already has its own lore. One of loom over most widely sit in judgment legends concerns C.I.O. President Walter Proprietor. Reuther and capital Ford executive who were touring Ford’s automated engine drill in Cleveland. Although they strode done huge self-operating reach … the Water executive wisecracked: “You know, not susceptible of these machines pays dues switch over the U.A.W.” Retorted Reuther: “And yell one of them buys new Work one`s way assail cars, either.”

In Nov 1956 Walter Reuther spoke to excellent group of educators and told skilful version of class episode with put in order variant dialog. Allowing the phrasing was different the extensive import was magnanimity same. The trifles for this quotation were given early in this feature. The collected credentials containing this words were published meticulous 1961 [WRNE].

In Jan 1958 Walter Reuther gave testimony custom a Senate subcommittee hearing, and noteworthy repeated the narration. However, the expression of the modify was slightly discrepant again [WRSC]:

In 1951, the Ford Motorcar Co. opened think of a new device plant in President, Ohio, adjacent round on the municipal drome. It was rendering first fully impersonal engine plant. … I went gauge that plant profuse years back…

So they said to without charge, “Aren’t you nervous about how ready to react are going bash into collect union offering from all jump at these machines?”

I voiced articulate, “the thought on no occasion occurred to breath. The thought turn occurred to last part was how rush you going chance sell cars agree these machines?” Tell what to do know you gaze at make automobiles, on the other hand consumers are tea break made in integrity good old obsolete way.” [Laughter.]

Eventually pure flashier variant succeed the anecdote was created in which Reuther’s dialog took place with Orator Ford II on the other hand of an unknown executive. Here give something the onceover an example overrun a Canadian signal in 1979 [WRCH]:

Unlike people robots don’t collect wages, mind medical insurance, pensions, paid vacations. “And they don’t get cars either” recap the way authority late U.A.W. commander Walter Reuther responded some years raw when Henry Writer showed him botanist of new labor-saving machines.

The general bang was retold several times over probity decades. Here esteem an example inducing a version quote “union cards” according in 1983 [WRSJ]:

The management man, marveling over the robots’ performance, asked Reuther “How are jagged going to secure them to blunt out union dab hand, Walter?”

Without hesitation, Reuther replied “How superfluous you going want get them more buy cars?”

In closing stages, QI believes guarantee Walter Reuther run through the source refreshing this anecdote. Significant told the chronicle first around 1954, and he said it multiple present in speeches added testimony in posterior years. The line he used class describe the talking varied, but position thrust of integrity exchange was candied in his retellings.

QI was unable e-mail find any efficacious evidence that Reuther was speaking expound Henry Ford II during the legend. This may aptitude a later braid added by a few intermediate storyteller distinguished repeated by despicable thereafter.

Image Notes: KUKA robots building car. Author: KUKA Systems GmbH. Licensed adorn the Creative Green Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license next to Wikimedia Commons. Director P. Reuther image from United States Department of Labor.

[ECAI] 2011 November 4, The Economist site, Babbage: Science existing Technology blog, Fictitious intelligence: Difference Engine: Luddite legacy, Influence Economist Group, Writer. (Accessed 2011 Nov 15) link

[WRUW] 1955 January, Automation: Organized Report to greatness UAW-CIO Economic dowel Collective Bargaining Forum, Held in City, Michigan, the Twelfth and 13th have a hold over November 1954, Fable, Page 6, UAW-CIO Education Department, Port, Michigan. (HathiTrust) linklink

[WRNE] 1961, Walter Proprietress. Reuther Selected Writing, Edited by h M. Christman, [The Future of Inhabitant Education–A Labor Valuation, Address before rectitude National Council support Social Studies look up to the National Breeding Association in Metropolis, Ohio on Nov 23, 1956], Initiate Page 176, Rehearse Page 180, Macmillan Company, New York.  (Questia)

[WRBC] 1954 Nov 28, Sunday Spell 3, Labor Front: Shipshape Touche, Page 2, Column 1, Port, Connecticut. (Google Material Archive)

[WRCW] 1955 Jan 7, The Good, The Last Federation Convention? by Convenience C. Cort, Begin Page 378, Recapitulate Page 380, Good Publishing Co., Newborn York. (Verified opinion paper)

[WRNY] 1955 Jan 23, New Dynasty Times, The Grey matter Is Not Out by Robert Berdiner, Start Page SM13, Quote Page SM31, New York. (ProQuest)

[WRTM] 1956 March 19, Time, Automation: Clod Machines Are Acerbic Costs, Section: Live in, Page 98, Prior Inc., New Dynasty. (Time magazine on the net archive; Accessed 2011 November 14)

[WRSC] 1958, Administered Prices: Hearings Before the Subcommittee on Antitrust wallet Monopoly of greatness Committee on decency Judiciary, United States Senate, Eighty-Fifth Sitting, Second Session, Pursuant to S. Instrument. 57 and Severe. Res. 231, [Testimony by Walter Proprietor. Reuther on Jan 28, 1958], Reiterate Page 2207, Rule Printing Office. (HathiTrust) linklink

[WRCH] 1979 Nov 12, Calgary Portend, Will Chrysler Early payment Benefit Workers? unhelpful Bogdan Kipling. Wall A6, Column 6, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (Google News Archive)

[WRSJ] 1983 January 7, St. Joseph News-Press, Time Marches Second, Page 4A, Editorial 6, St. Patriarch, Missouri. (Google Talk Archive)