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The rule of law?
That's Ford's UAW contract. You can read those 2215 pages, and other UAW contracts, here. I thank Tim Miller for the pointer.
Posted by Tyler Cowen on December 13, 2008 at 04:42 PM in Law | Permalink
Comments
A Diet Coke might not have enough caffeine to get you through all of those pages...
Posted by: Brandon Robison at Dec 13, 2008 5:49:08 PM
Now that is a shining proof of the unregulated, unfettered, raw, anarco-capitalism circus tent that is the American economic system.
Here in Europe, that would just make for holiday agreements.
Posted by: Björn at Dec 13, 2008 6:01:26 PM
Detailed contracts are often good. They reduce uncertainty.
I can't tell whether it's bad or good just by looking at how much paper was wasted printing it out. It's all in the specifics.
Also, whoever drafted that got to bill mad hours. Props.
Posted by: Vernunft at Dec 13, 2008 6:26:17 PM
Clearly, the thick paper is misleading.
Posted by: IWantCookieNow at Dec 13, 2008 7:37:08 PM
Does that cover what Ford expects of its UAW workers or what the UAW demands/extorts from Ford?
Posted by: meter at Dec 13, 2008 8:01:47 PM
Who are the eligible union voters ? I could not find on UAW website ? Retirees?
Posted by: lowrie glasgow at Dec 13, 2008 8:32:45 PM
Reaganesque post; nice!
Posted by: indiana jim at Dec 13, 2008 9:26:34 PM
I'm going with: This is a stack of unused laser paper (see the divisions about every 500 sheets) with a printout of the cover at top. Which means it doesn't even include the caked on laser ink!
Posted by: Graham at Dec 13, 2008 10:04:25 PM
Just by looking at it, I think I can guarantee that someone is violating at least one of those rules at all times.
Posted by: Eric H at Dec 13, 2008 10:46:05 PM
What's the point? That poor laborers are just not entitled to any legal protection? I mean I thought people like you were all about "private" regulation over government regulation? Oh, that's right, that only applies to capital which is allowed to organize into as large a group as possible and is provided the sanction of the sovereign to limit its liability (just in case it causes any harm). Some day people like you will be viewed as being as ignorant as slave owners who based their world view upon similarly dubious moral and intellectual underpinnings.
Posted by: GeorgeNYC at Dec 13, 2008 10:53:25 PM
Wow. I am so glad I am not a lawyer.
Posted by: danny at Dec 13, 2008 10:57:22 PM
GeorgeNYC, having fun with your straw man over there?
Posted by: Daniel Reeves at Dec 13, 2008 11:22:59 PM
GeorgeinNYC said of Tyler Cowen:
I mean I thought people like you were all about "private" regulation over government regulation?
George, take it from me, Tyler is not the one smuggling anarcho-capitalism into our world.
Posted by: Bob Murphy at Dec 14, 2008 12:21:34 AM
The breaks at 500 sheets could be due to replacing the paper in the printer each ream. So this might include the ink. Probably just blank pages though. That's alot of toner.
Posted by: Peter at Dec 14, 2008 12:28:56 AM
The breaks at 500 sheets could be due to replacing the paper in the printer each ream. So this might include the ink. Probably just blank pages though. That's alot of toner.
Posted by: Peter at Dec 14, 2008 12:30:23 AM
The breaks at 500 sheets could be due to replacing the paper in the printer each ream. So this might include the ink. Probably just blank pages though. That's alot of toner.
Posted by: Peter at Dec 14, 2008 12:30:33 AM
The final 1872 pages are the rider. Absolutely no brown M & Ms.
Posted by: at Dec 14, 2008 6:34:00 AM
Fascinating photo, thanks for posting.
An alternative title could have been "Incomplete contracts".
Posted by: Geoffrey at Dec 14, 2008 10:55:27 AM
The length of the contract isn't a result of the political system in which it is produced.
Its a function of a cartel that writes the rules, interprets the rules & enforces the rules.
I think the Bar Association chuckles to themselves every time they produce something like that.
Posted by: Superheater at Dec 14, 2008 5:50:31 PM
How long is their full set of contractual obligations with their biggest parts supplier?
Posted by: albatross at Dec 14, 2008 8:17:26 PM
The US Navy's Military Personnel Manual is 3,114 pages. Just sayin'. (and remember that's just the navy. I presume the army air force and marines have equally long but separate documents.)
Posted by: Kolohe at Dec 14, 2008 11:18:44 PM
I'll bet it reads more like a novel now than when it was first published.
Posted by: Mr. Winston at Dec 15, 2008 1:12:14 PM
How about a photo of the governance documents for GMU, plus a months worth of internal email and memos?
You know, the stuff that protects professors from the free market?
Posted by: save_the_rustbelt at Dec 15, 2008 1:46:32 PM
Questions:
1. Did Coke pay for this product placement?
2. Is the Coke product placement positive or negative for Coke?
Posted by: Dave Barnes at Dec 15, 2008 4:12:16 PM
Bottomline here is they need to just go under and bounce the UAW and start fresh.
Posted by: herbalife at Dec 15, 2008 4:45:53 PM
For comparison, how much paper does the complete spec book for any given Ford vehicle take?
Posted by: Anthony at Dec 15, 2008 6:24:14 PM
how long would it take tyler to read this, i wonder
Posted by: babar at Dec 15, 2008 8:11:28 PM
Some of you might benefit by and be interested in watching this series: http://miltonfriedman.blogspot.com/
Posted by: Grimp at Dec 15, 2008 10:42:10 PM
