Strikes, scabs, and tread separations: Labor strife and the production of defective Bridgestone/Firestone tires

Alan B. Krueger, Alexandre Mas

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

130 Scopus citations

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, Illinois, 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.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)253-289
Number of pages37
JournalJournal of Political Economy
Volume112
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 2004

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Economics and Econometrics

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