1967 Camaro assembly line

[Mr70]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

Meanwhile, these days, I cannot remember if I ate lunch or not.

Keith,First,thanks for all your knowledge & details about this process.
Second,What could one do if you didn't want to eat Lunch in that 30 Min period back then?
Could you drive to a FF restaurant nearby,or read the Newspaper in an open area outside to pass the time,or did you have to stay inside?

[Too Many Projects]

Can't speak for Keith's situation, but the Ford plant allowed us to go out of the building and off the grounds, as long as we were "on station" when the line started. MANY of the jobs could be worked ahead and that happened nearly every day, as the entire plant shut down for 30 minutes, EXACTLY. The line workers would start working back down the line about 2 cars before they entered that persons designated area and it seemed half the plant was mobbing the exit doors 3 minutes before the line even stopped. When the people got back, if the next car they needed to work on was in the next station, they would start a few minutes before the line and get caught up.
As an aside, there were 3 bars conveniently located immediately across the street that served "lunch"... and cashed the patrons pay checks right inside the door on Friday's. Checks were always distributed before lunch. I went over there for a quick burger a few times and it was a chore to get there, wolf down food and run back 1/4 mile thru the huge parking lot to the plant and sometimes another 1/4 mile to my station. The bar I went to had a large, horseshoe shaped serving area and most of the chairs were "owned" by an employee that had sat there every day for years and there would be 2 drinks of that persons choice sitting in front of those chairs....every day. None of them had beer bottles set up... The bartender, servers and cooks knew exactly what and how much to make for those people and they would sit down, slam the first drink and a plate was dropped in front of them. Some drank the second while eating and the tender would have a 3rd waiting for when they got done. Then, they got up and left and we plebes could sit for about 5-6 minutes. I never saw them pay and later learned they ran a weekly tab that was deducted from their cash at the window on Friday. The whole place ran as efficiently as the assembly line.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by Too Many Projects

Can't speak for Keith's situation, but the Ford plant allowed us to go out of the building and off the grounds, as long as we were "on station" when the line started. MANY of the jobs could be worked ahead and that happened nearly every day, as the entire plant shut down for 30 minutes, EXACTLY. The line workers would start working back down the line about 2 cars before they entered that persons designated area and it seemed half the plant was mobbing the exit doors 3 minutes before the line even stopped. When the people got back, if the next car they needed to work on was in the next station, they would start a few minutes before the line and get caught up.
As an aside, there were 3 bars conveniently located immediately across the street that served "lunch"... and cashed the patrons pay checks right inside the door on Friday's. Checks were always distributed before lunch. I went over there for a quick burger a few times and it was a chore to get there, wolf down food and run back 1/4 mile thru the huge parking lot to the plant and sometimes another 1/4 mile to my station. The bar I went to had a large, horseshoe shaped serving area and most of the chairs were "owned" by an employee that had sat there every day for years and there would be 2 drinks of that persons choice sitting in front of those chairs....every day. None of them had beer bottles set up... The bartender, servers and cooks knew exactly what and how much to make for those people and they would sit down, slam the first drink and a plate was dropped in front of them. Some drank the second while eating and the tender would have a 3rd waiting for when they got done. Then, they got up and left and we plebes could sit for about 5-6 minutes. I never saw them pay and later learned they ran a weekly tab that was deducted from their cash at the window on Friday. The whole place ran as efficiently as the assembly line.

This is absolutely correct. There was always a little shop bar across the street from any assembly plant.

If you didn't want to eat during your designated lunch time you could snack while you worked. There was usually enough time between vehicles to take a bite, read a bit of the newspaper and then get the next one. There were some guys that ate nonstop.

There was always a picnic table in the area so you could spread out, or for meetings with the shop committeeman.

K

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by Too Many Projects

Can't speak for Keith's situation, but the Ford plant allowed us to go out of the building and off the grounds, as long as we were "on station" when the line started. MANY of the jobs could be worked ahead and that happened nearly every day, as the entire plant shut down for 30 minutes, EXACTLY. The line workers would start working back down the line about 2 cars before they entered that persons designated area and it seemed half the plant was mobbing the exit doors 3 minutes before the line even stopped. When the people got back, if the next car they needed to work on was in the next station, they would start a few minutes before the line and get caught up.

It was like that at the beginning of the shift, too.

It can be pretty lonely standing there at 5:58 am with just you, your quality man and one or two of your best guys hanging around. But - if you are patient - the line will chug at 6:00 am and move about one job length before someone else chickens out and shuts 'er down. By then you can see the rest of your workers, quick stepping down the aisle, tying their aprons and putting their gloves on while in motion. They can catch the job they missed, the one in front of them, and the next job, and be sitting reading the newpaper before the line starts back up in earnest.

Having said all that: I honestly don't think I ever pushed the button myself to shut the line down, even as a "wet behind the ears" 19 yr old production supervisor. Somebody else would always shut it down first.

K