What did Unions do? The Case of Illinois Coal Mining in the 1880s

William M. Boal ()
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William M. Boal: Drake University

Journal of Labor Research, 2017, vol. 38, issue 4, No 3, 439-474

Abstract: Abstract This study asks what unions did for Illinois coal miners in the 1880s. It measures the outcomes provided by a traditional union and the Knights of Labor, primarily via difference-in-differences applied to a panel of coal mining counties in Illinois. Neither the traditional union nor the Knights of Labor was able to raise wages, provide benefits, or reduce hours per workday. The traditional union reduced days of work per year. Circumstantial evidence suggests the unions were able to ensure prompt payment of wages due.

Keywords: Coal industry; Early unions; Knights of Labor (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J51 L71 N31 N51 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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DOI: 10.1007/s12122-017-9253-8

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