Walter Reuther And Henry Ford example essay topic

RISE OF BIG BUSINESS AND ORGANIZED LABOR Henry Ford and Walter Reuther are two of the biggest names in the world of automobile industries and organized labor. They were both activists in their own way. Also, they were completely different from each other, one could even argue that they were opposites. Their ideas were contradicting, but still both of them had positive effects on society. Henry Ford was a captain of industry. He owned Ford Motors, which was an automobile company.

Ford was a man who always wanted his own way and he got it most of the time. The creation he is most famous for is the FORD MODEL T, the car for the commoners. His car became an instant hit amongst the people- the local people and the working class of people because it was very affordable and was not just for the rich. Ford was a very successful businessman but not particularly a nice guy. He expected a lot from his workers but thing is that he also cared for his workers, because he knew that not only were they dependent on him but also that he depended upon them, they were the ones due to which he was gaining popularity and success throughout America. Ford's great strength was the manufacturing process for his cars.

Instead of having people put together the entire car he created organized teams that added parts to the Model T as it moved down the assembly line, this lowered the production prices and also the time and energy required to put together the cars. Ford offered an incredible perk for people working in his company. He offered the workers $5 a day minimum wage even though in other auto industries the wages were $2.34. So Ford was paying more than double the average wage to his workers, this shows his dedication to his work. Henry Ford despised Labor Unions for the sole reason that they were pointless and that because he thought he knew how to take care of his workers better than anybody else did. However, in 1941 he faced a general strike from his workers that made him change his mind, reluctantly.

Ford had worked a lot to create a car that would be affordable to any common person. He stated", I will build a car for the great multitude... so low in price that no one will be unable to own one". Walter Reuther was a United Auto Workers (UAW) official. Reuther was one of labor's most dynamic and innovative leaders, as well as a humanitarian whose impact ranged well beyond his field. Reuther was a leader to the auto industry, he toiled for the workers and kept trying harder and harder each time to earn the workers more benefits. And year by year the UAW workers gained, amongst others, comprehensive health-care programs, tuition refund programs, life insurance and many more perks which workers today take for granted.

But it was all the handiwork of Walter Reuther who strived hard so that the workers wouldn't be exploited. Reuther's work didn't just stop at the collective bargaining line; instead he was also a social activist. He protested against the spoiling of the Great Lakes, particularly Lake Erie. He also became actively involved in developing low-cost housing units in Detroit's inner city; also he was advocating universal health care. Reuther also had worked closely with Martin Luther King Jr. Walter Reuther was also know as the "White Martin Luther King Jr".

For Reuther unionism was not just improving the work place but it was also a social movement aimed at uplifting the community. Both of these great men had set goals, and they worked hard to get to them. Henry Ford wanted to create a car that would change the way of life for people. And that's exactly what Ford did, he produced the Model T - a car that was exclusively for the working class of people.

In order to get to this point in his life, Henry Ford used his intelligence, his common sense and most of all his motivation that drove him to this high point in his life. He did whatever possible in his power to assist him in achieving his goal. On the other hand, Walter Reuther was a leader to the workers in the UWA, and his goal was to help the workers in his union, through 'collective bargaining', to obtain more benefits. Reuther succeeded in doing this by using his will power to stand up for the workers and his leadership skills. Not only was Reuther labor leader but he also was a social reformer.

He fought against many problems that were prominent in society in his time. Walter Reuther and Henry Ford were very important people and their contributions still influence the world today. Henry Ford's Ford Motor Co. is still one of the leading car manufacturers. Henry's idea of having teams to put together cars piece by piece as they came down the assembly line, is still in major use in most of the car industries. Henry Ford's Model T gave rise to a middle class in the society. Walter Reuther's contribution consisted of all the benefits the workers enjoy and take for granted today.

Walter Reuther was a social reformer and he solved many public issues in his day that would have caused problems today. Someone once said, "Reuther was an amazing man. A great social innovator. And arguably the greatest labor leader". MADHU R MERCHANT PERIOD # 6 Sources: - Henry ford- Encyclopedia BrittanicaReuther, Walter -- Encylopedia Encarta.

Henry Ford & Walter Reuther (Captains of Industry) -- - 'The Americans' [book].