1966-1967 AS A CASHIER, I EARNED $1.00 AN HOUR. I WAS 16-17 YRS. OLD............ MY SENIOR YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL.
Wow, Jean! Where were you a cashier at?
I delivered handbills in 5th grade and don't remember the pay.
That's also when I started shoveling snow, going door to door. That was tough work for a young kid. Pay was based on how deep the snow was and area shoveled.
In 7th grade, I started a landscaping business, mainly cutting lawns and got paid by the job. The first 3 years, I used the old reel type (non power) push mower. Most of the lawns I could do in less than an hour for $3 cash, no taxes. Great money for a kid.
In 10th grade, my parents got me a gas powered mower for my birthday. Best present ever. Cut the work in half. Had around 10 customers the next 2 years.
When I turned 18, in 1974 I started getting a regular paycheck by working for Ford Motor(while still in high school, then University of Detroit) at the Dearborn Assembly plant and metal foundry (making the Mustang 2s) with full time Summer jobs and part time the rest of the year and I think the pay was over $6/hour. Midnight shift premium was another 7%.
That was some serious money back then but the UAW (United Auto Workers) was extremely powerful and auto workers had tremendous benefits.
++++++++++++++
Sept. 1, 1976
https://www.nytimes.com/1976/09/01/archives/union-assails-ford-motors-pay-offer.html
DEARBORN, Mich., Aug. 31—The Ford Motor Company offered the United Automobile Workers today a wage rise of 3 percent a year over the next three years. That would raise the weekly pay of an automobile assembler to more than $7 an hour in 1979.
But union leaders said that because of proposed changes in the way the percentage increase would be applied, the offer amounted to less than would be achieved if the would be achieved if the present contract were extended.
They also said that if the company offer was meant seriously, it would probably mead a strike when the existing contract expires at 11:59 P.M. Sept. 14. Ford was selected last week by the union as the “target’ company in its triennial round of negotiations.
The target theory holds that the threat to shut down one company by a strike while its competitors continue to produce cars buts extra pressure on that company to settle.
“There is a wider chasm between this union and the Ford Motor Company than there was at a ‘comparable stage between this union and the General Motors Corporation six years ago,” Leonard Woodcock, the union president, said at a news conference at Ford headquarters after the company offer was received. In 1970, the union staged a bitter 67‐day strike against General Motors.
“If they mean this, let me tell you, they are headed for the bricks,” said Kenneth Bannon, the union's chief negotia tor.
At present, a car assembler in a Ford plant receives a base wage of $5.43 an hour, plus $1.14 an hour in cost‐of‐living increases accumulated over the last three years, for a total hourly wage of $6.57 an hour.
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It was 95% men working there(there were some really physical jobs-not that women couldn't do some of them but times were different back then) and some were raising big families on those huge wages. 90% of them were black,and from Detroit, without much education and it was a wonderful opportunity for them back then(or anybody) to get handsomely rewarded for productive work to raise their families.
Unfortunately for Ford, after pay day ( every Thursday) many of these men spent their pay checks drinking and doing other wild stuff, so absenteeism always spiked higher on Friday's and Monday's(the day after pay day and day after the weekend).
Incredibly, the UAW protected these guys and gave them a massive amount of sick days every year to cover this.
The company covered by hiring guys like me, called Monday and Friday college workers. I worked the late shift(after classes on just Mon's and Fri's during the school year to cover for guys that didn't show up.
But the jobs were tough and often meant a week+ to train to do them. So they used 2 of us college kids, each doing 1/2 the job when we replaced somebody. When they didn't need us, we could go home early and get 4 hours pay or stay for 8 hours and do something trivial in maintainence.
I CASHIER'D AT A LOCALLY OWNED DEPARTMENT STORE. AFTER I GRADUATED HS... I CASHIERD AT A BIG CHAIN STORE FOR $1.40 AN HOUR. THEN, I HIT THE BIG TIME TOY FACTORY FOR $1.80 AN HOUR PLUS PIECE RATE, IN 1969. THEN... I MOVED TO TORONTO FOR A FEW MONTHS. (THEY WANTED ME TO GIVE UP MY CITIZENSHIP, IF I WANTED TO WORK)
LATE 1969... I STARTED MY 10 YEARS OF TRAVEL...SEEIN' THIS BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY. LOL CHICAGO ~WORK, SAVE MY MONEY & MOVE ON ~ FLORIDA ~ WORK, SAVE MY MONEY & MOVE ON ~ NEW HAMPSHIRE ~ WORK, SAVE MY MONEY & MOVE ON ~ TEXAS ~ WORK, SAVE MY MONEY & MOVE ON ~ OHIO ~ WORK, SAVE MY MONEY & MOVE ON ~ FLORIDA ~WORK, SAVE MY MONEY & MOVE ON ~ HOME ~ WORK, SAVE MY MONEY & STAYED PUT!! I HAD A WONDERFUL TIME, ON THE ROAD! I BOUGHT MY 5 ACRES IN 1973, DURING ONE OF MY "SWING BY HOME" ESCAPADES. LOL
As a kid I did a number of jobs like Mike did, and I also turned 18 in 1974.
That was when I got a warehouse job in an auto parts supply business. Full time 40 hour week at $2.25/hr. I probably still have some of those pay stubs around here somewhere, lol.
Bill in Milwaukee
Wow, Jean!
You were experiencing life all over the place in your younger years!
Warm Welcome to you, Bill!
Thanks for chiming in!
1956 was a great year to be born (-:
LOL MIKE ~ I DESERVED IT!
AT 8 YEARS OLD, I OVERHEARD MOM ON THE PHONE ~ TALKING TO THE CHILDRENS' HOME!! UGH!! I KNEW WE WERE "BAD OFF", FINANCIALLY, BUT HADN'T REALIZED JUST HOW BAD!
LONGGGGGGGGGGG STORY SHORT ~ THE VERY NEXT DAY, I WAS KNOCKIN' ON NEIGHBORS' DOORS, BEGGIN' FOR WORK! I DID ANYTHING FOR A DIME! A DIME AT A TIME! I CONTINUED BUILDING A REPUTATION, THROUGHOUT MY HOME TOWN & I STILL HAVE A GREAT REPUTATION.... 65 YEARS LATER.
I RETIRED FROM WORKING, IN 2000.... I'D VOLUNTEER MY TIME WITH THE ELDERLY ~ SOME BEING THE VERY ONE'S, I WAS KNOCKIN' ON THEIR DOOR, BEGGIN' FOR WORK.... SO MANY YEARS BEFORE.... EVEN MY 5TH GRADE TEACHER!!
WORD OF MOUTH, IS HOW I STAYED ACTIVE... THEN..... ALONG CAME MY STROKE, IN 2020. I CALL THAT 2020... "HINDSIGHT". I DON'T REGRET ONE DAY OF MY LIFE!
GOD IS GOOD!
WELL...... BILL IN MILWAUKEE... WELCOME ABOARD!! LOL
HAVE YOU FOUND THOSE PAY STUBS, YET?
That’s a wonderful, positive and sincere attitude, Jean!
when people express themselves like you just did, it tends to make those around them feel good too!
That’s a wonderful, positive and sincere attitude, Jean!
when people express themselves like you just did, it tends to make those around them feel good too!
Ive got similar stories starting a bit earlier
I loved it - great way to grow up and develop ethics and work ethics.
What cracks me up about todays youth and young adults is how they expect to be able to raise families from wages or
wage rates earned from their first or early employment. Mostly my generation expected those early wages adequate only for beer or date money-help finance that first used car maybe. Minimum wages is not the end all - its a launching pad !
John
JOHN... YOU ARE SOOOOO RIGHT!!
I COULD BUY 3 GALLONS OF GAS FOR AN HOURS WAGE & KNOW I WASN'T NEAR READY TO SETTLE DOWN! LOL WHEN I KNEW I WAS READY ~ I CRACKED THE WHIP & LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER!
https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/gasoline-prices-adjusted-for-inflation/
Lets go back farther!
Gas Price History (source)
https://www.creditdonkey.com/gas-price-history.html
Latest gas prices below:
https://www.gasbuddy.com/gaspricemap?lat=38.822395&lng=-96.591588&z=4
I filled up in Owensboro, KY yesterday at a Kroger gas station for $3.29/gal. It's 20-30c higher here in Evansville, IN.
What's your gas price??
Crude Oil 8-3-23
Started by metmike - Aug. 3, 2023, 1:41 p.m.
https://www.marketforum.com/forum/topic/97858/
Mike, yes 1956 was a great year!
"WELL...... BILL IN MILWAUKEE... WELCOME ABOARD!! LOL"
Thanks, Jean. I read here occasionally, don't have much to input, but this question I could answer.
Haven't looked for the pay stubs but my guess is the top middle drawer of the bureau next to my bed
I really enjoyed your stories. Work ethic is lost today...
MKE Bill
LOLOLOL THANKS, BILL!!
WHAT FUNNNNNNNNN! STICK AROUND ~ ALL TYPES OF SUBJECTS GET BROUGHT UP.
JEAN
BLUE-COLLAR BLUES: Younger generations crafting a ‘very disturbing’ job trend