Factory #11 1924

 North-end of #11 1922.

Shown above (in a post card) is the original south face of factory #11.







This article is the announcement for the construction of the engine plant #11.

This is how the south end looked on September 9, 1924 after the remodel. The building at the left was where the meals were prepared before being distributed to the factories at lunch time. This was designated building #43. When I hired into factory #40 in 1972 there was still no cafeteria, they just heated small cans of soup and such on tiny bun-son burners on the second floor near the north elevator. The big car assembly line in factory #04 did have a cafeteria located on the second floor just next to where bridge #40 entered the second floor of factory #04, coming from factory #40. They had one even when I toured there in 1960. What you need to know is we only had a thirty minute lunch, so if you did not work within 100 feet of the lunch room “forget it” because the line at the counter was just too long. Your morning breaks were staggered day to day according to your relief man’s discretion. The ideal time for this break was mid shift, just so you could get a bathroom break. But if you had the last relief near lunchtime you could beat the crowd at the cafeteria. “Which was best”? It depended on how your body felt on any given day. An 8 hour shift went like this, (1/2 hour before lunch (paid) 1/2 hour lunch (unpaid) and 16 minute after lunch (paid). This may sound like a lot of breaks but believe me, if you have ever worked on an assembly line your body needs all the rest it can get. At Chevy you had (20 minutes mid shift (paid) twenty minute lunch (paid) and 10 minute after lunch (paid) break. Where I worked on the straight six line at Chevy it took ten minutes to reach the cafeteria. Round trip twenty minutes. So there was not even time to place an order even if you were first in line. The best food I ever seen was at Chevy #4 in the hole but the rest of what went on there wasn't very good. If you were lucky in a G.M. factory and happened to work near some machine or heat source you could enjoy a hot lunch, “as I did” on the third floor of Buick’s factory #04 paint shop factory #11. The numbering of factories/departments/zones & divisions can be quite confusing at times but I do my best to get the right designations throughout this blog. General Motors did not help either by always changing these numbers. Any help would be greatly appreciated. (click on the link for my hot ham & cheese oven) Photo from the Buick Research Gallery. North-end of #11 1922.

1937. 

Links:

Factory #04/11-14
Buick Kitchen #43