Nothing like getting paid half of the flat rate (the shop got the other half!) and not a penny more to make a wrench jockey get very creative with his approach to a job. That was particularly true when the shop labor charge was less than $10.00 per hour! ("Minimum wage" was 90 cents!) A flat rate mechanic provided his own hand tools, did not have any "benefits", and was expected to beat the flat rate manual time whenever possible. It was not uncommon for a good man to book 50 or more hours of time in a 40 hour week. Most mechanics in the 1950's were considered to be "contract labor" and thus were responsible for paying their own income taxes- - - -no deductions by their employer with the exception of Social Security, and sometimes not even that!
Jerry
