Short Final: Taking Inventory

Credit: Piper Aircraft
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • During a contentious labor dispute, William T. Piper noted a significant decrease in his factory's effective productivity.
  • He sarcastically remarked that "about half" of his employees were actually working, illustrating the severe impact of industrial strife on the workforce.
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According to legend, while in the midst of a contentious labor dispute with employees, William T. Piper was standing with a business associate in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, overlooking the large Piper Aircraft factory on the Susquehanna River. The other man asked, “So, how many people work here these days?”

Piper replied with a sigh, “About half.”

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