Why is upholstery different from any other industry in productivity? I can think of many paid-per-hour assembly-line jobs in which the product being assembled goes by as quickly as they can get it through without (what they consider to be) unreasonable compromises in quality. Look at car manufacturing: German autoworkers are paid for 30-hour weeks and get lots of vacation and benefits, yet the cars they produce are not the most trouble-free, and some would argue they're not the world's best, either (all depends on what you're looking for in a car, I guess). Japanese workers are also decently paid, yet they produce some of the highest-quality vehicles in the world. So why is upholstery manufacturing different?

It is very different. Upholstery is not about just putting the right screws and parts together. It is an art. It takes skilled craftsman and many years to perfect. Manufacturers are struggling now to find experienced craftsman. Workers that can produce qualtiy at a production rate are extremely difficult to find. Training is expensive and usually not very successful. Competition from cheap imports from Asia has put heavy downward pressure on wages here. The landscape for upholstery & casegoods manufacturing has changed in the US more in the past 5 years than in the past 50 years.

I work in an industry that routinely employed "piece rate" as the wage base. Working by the piece does NOT elicit sloppy workmanship. On the contrary, when you work "in the line" you must perform the operation(s) quickly, efficiently, and CORRECTLY or you screw up the next person "in the line", and the one after that, and the one after that... . Management does not tolerate mistakes like that for much more than a day. Moreover, you are required to correct the mistake. Remember, you are paid by the piece... you get "x" cents for an operation... if it's not right you get NO cents to rip it out and correct it. Not only have you lost the piece rate, but you also lost TIME. and you can't make up lost time. You get paid when the needle is going up and down in the RIGHT PLACE; you make more money when you learn to perform the operation to greater efficiency. Most people don't understand that "working for rate" is actually a game of "beat the clock" for minimally, an 8 hr. shift. And that any mistake you make is quickly identified by the next person in the line. Sure, there are "tolerances", but they're small, precise, and you can't exceed them by very much or the product can't be assembled. It's that "simple".

You punch in. A bell rings. You sit at your machine. They flip the switch and every machine in your area comes on. You sew. A bell rings, you finish the work, all the machines shut down. You get a break. A bell rings you return to your machine. Machine comes on. You sew. Same thing at lunch and afternoon break. And then you go home. It's hard work!

I am capable of operating (minimally) 12 different types of sewing machines "at rate". I was smart enough to understand that attention to detail and "time and motion" were the keys to success "in the line". I made great money, too! Most of those jobs have been "outsourced" to offshore locations. And many of the very skilled workers who taught ME so much of what I know are now cashiers at Wally World for roughly 2/3rds what they earned "in the line". Nor do they have any benefits. Piece rate is GOOD, but only for those who are willing to pay attention to detail and suffer the learning curve.

Americans have developed a loathing of the skilled trades over the years. How many people do you know who say, "Yeah! I want my kid to become a plumber/electrician/seamstress/automotive mechanic!"? Americans have been told repeatedly that a college degree is the "where it's at" and the only way to get ahead. They have forgotten to appreciate the time, patience, and SKILL required to deliver a product to a customer. Most people now think that the fruits of a skilled trade should be produced at Wally World prices. It doesn't work that way. I have to pay bills, too. And property taxes. And save for retirement. Cracks me up that the college degree jobs are now being "outsourced"...

I was fortunate, I had a really good education and I was a quick study. I "sucked it up" and did the crappy work, paying attention to how the really "gravy" operations were performed. I can tailor your clothes, make a wedding gown, I can stitch to rate "in the line" (on pretty nearly any machine out there, I can even do more than routine maintenance on the machinery). I can make your draperies/slipcovers/pillows, I can even upholster. But I can't do it for the wages of people doing the same thing in southeast Asia, Latin America, India, Pakistan, etc.. I paid attention to what was being offered me. I was quick to understand that the most basic skills were easily transferrable to other, RELATED trades. And I was also well aware that moving into the "custom" niche was the way to go. Seems simple, but if you have deficient language skills or are barely literate it's NOT that simple. And many skilled people are left unemployed or underemployed.

Piece rate is a wonderful incentive and a great way to reward skilled, intelligent, and loyal employees. It doens't translate well to all facets of manufacture, but where it does, it works well. Those who produce poorly/eratically are quickly culled. Trust me on this. I've "been there and done that".

I don't thing the method of compensation determines the quality. It comes down to the manufacture's targeted market. High end furniture manufactures have to use quality materials with quality workmanship. The consumer that buys high end furniture knows what to look for in materials and workmanship.

A low end manufacture will not create a kiln dried double-dowel frame; will not block corners; will not use 8-way hand-tied springs; will not use premium cotton batting or quality foam; will not use high quality fabric; will not use premium hardwood on exposed wood areas. Likewise, they will not take the time to match patterns or make the welt from fabric cut on the bias.

The poor workmanship is a result of the poor material. It takes skill to put together a frame that is constructed with dowels and blocked. It takes skill to properly hand-tie springs. It takes skill to match a pattern and make a true bias cut to construct the welt.

I couldn't agree more! Real quality in furniture (anything, really!) begins with a thorough understanding of how to combine materials to produce a sturdy, comfortable piece of furniture. I am routinely appalled at the prices quality, upholstered furniture commands; not because it isn't beautifully constructed, but because I can't afford to buy it! We "inherited" old pieces that were in tatters. But at 50 yrs. old in original condition they were still perfectly serviceable, if "dated" and shabby.

I contacted an upholsterer and he came by to give me price on re-doing them. We hit it off immediately, and he gave me my first lessons on quality and technique. It isn't particularly difficult, but you need to pay attention to detail. And you need to be prepared to get really dirty... and make sure you get a tetanus booster ;)!

I wish I had more time to devote to some of the cool things I have here that desperately need "ripping down" and rebuilding... .

The skilled trades have seen such a steady decline in the past 20-25 yrs. that it makes me really sad. Have you tried to find a good cobbler lately!? And yet, even as the supply of people capable of doing things like drapery making, upholstery, tailoring/alteration dwindles I find myself with more work than I can get done in a week.

Quality workmanship is about attention to detail. It's also about developing a mental "checklist" of things that must be done in a precise order to ensure the final product is truly "tip top". It's also about knowing when you can bend the "rules" and just how much they can be bent. It's about quality tools, supplies, patience. That's where the "art" comes in!

Everybody is making some good points here, and your experiences will shape your opinion. Myself I have over 35 years of experience in upholstery manufacturing. I have owned a upholstery business for 18 years. I have taught frame machining, spring-up, cutting, sewing & upholstery at different colleges. I have managed upholstery companies in the US and Asia, anywhere from 25 employees to 6,000 employees for companies like Century to FBI. I have managed product design & developed departments, producing new designs and now a free lance designer and consultant for the industry.
Every manufacturer is a little different, the systems they have set-up vary greatly. But on the average quality WILL suffer when the top priory is meeting production schedules verses high quality standards. How you pay your workers makes a difference. And the final inspectors and management know this.