important article

[Michael Perelman <michael@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I read an earlier version of this article.  I don't know how it has
changed, but it is very important unless it has changed dramatically.

"Strikes, Scabs and Tread Separations: Labor Strife and the
 Production of Defective Bridgestone/Firestone Tires"

      BY:  ALAN B. KRUEGER
              Princeton University
              Industrial Relations Section, Firestone Library
              National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)
              Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)
           ALEXANDRE MAS
              Princeton University
              Industrial Relations Section, Firestone Library

Document:  Available from the SSRN Electronic Paper Collection:
           http://papers.ssrn.com/paper.taf?abstract_id=446301

           Other Electronic Document Delivery:
           ftp://ftp.iza.org/dps/dp869.pdf
           SSRN only offers technical support for papers
           downloaded from the SSRN Electronic Paper Collection
           location. When URLs wrap, you must copy and paste
           them into your browser eliminating all spaces.

Paper ID:  IZA Discussion Paper No. 869
    Date:  September 2003

 Contact:  ALAN B. KRUEGER
   Email:  Mailto:akrueger@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  Postal:  Princeton University
           Industrial Relations Section, Firestone Library
           Princeton, NJ 08544-2098  UNITED STATES
   Phone:  609-258-4046
     Fax:  609-258-2907
 Co-Auth:  ALEXANDRE MAS
   Email:  Mailto:amas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  Postal:  Princeton University
           Industrial Relations Section, Firestone Library
           Princeton, NJ 08544-2098  UNITED STATES

ABSTRACT:
 This paper provides a case study of the effect of labor
 relations on product quality. We consider whether a long,
 contentious strike and the hiring of replacement workers at
 Bridgestone/Firestone's Decatur plant in the mid-1990s
 contributed to the production of defective tires. Using several
 independent data sources, and looking before and after the
 strike and across plants, we find that labor strife at the
 Decatur plant closely coincided with lower product quality.
 Monthly data suggest that defects were particularly high around
 the time concessions were demanded and when large numbers of
 replacement workers and returning strikers worked side by side.

 Keywords: labor relations, product quality,
 Bridgestone/Firestone, strike



"Strikes, Scabs and Tread Separations: Labor Strife and the Production
of Defective Bridgestone/Firestone Tires"

      BY:  ALAN B. KRUEGER
              Princeton University
              Industrial Relations Section, Firestone Library
              National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)
              Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)
           ALEXANDRE MAS
              Princeton University
              Industrial Relations Section, Firestone Library

Document:  Available from the SSRN Electronic Paper Collection:
           http://papers.ssrn.com/paper.taf?abstract_id=446301

           Other Electronic Document Delivery:
           ftp://ftp.iza.org/dps/dp869.pdf
           SSRN only offers technical support for papers
           downloaded from the SSRN Electronic Paper Collection
           location. When URLs wrap, you must copy and paste
           them into your browser eliminating all spaces.

Paper ID:  IZA Discussion Paper No. 869
    Date:  September 2003

 Contact:  ALAN B. KRUEGER
   Email:  Mailto:akrueger@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  Postal:  Princeton University
           Industrial Relations Section, Firestone Library
           Princeton, NJ 08544-2098  UNITED STATES
   Phone:  609-258-4046
     Fax:  609-258-2907
 Co-Auth:  ALEXANDRE MAS
   Email:  Mailto:amas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  Postal:  Princeton University
           Industrial Relations Section, Firestone Library
           Princeton, NJ 08544-2098  UNITED STATES

ABSTRACT:
 This paper provides a case study of the effect of labor
 relations on product quality.  We consider whether a long, contentious
strike and the hiring of replacement workers at Bridgestone/Firestone's
Decatur plant in the mid-1990s contributed to the production of
defective tires.  Using several independent data sources, and looking
before and after the strike and across plants, we find that labor strife
at the Decatur plant closely coincided with lower product quality.
 Monthly data suggest that defects were particularly high around the
time concessions were demanded and when large numbers of replacement
workers and returning strikers worked side by side.

 Keywords: labor relations, product quality,
 Bridgestone/Firestone, strike


--

Michael Perelman
Economics Department
California State University
michael@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Chico, CA 95929
530-898-5321
fax 530-898-5901