Effects of unionism and work-related safety on productivity in the U.S. bituminous coal mining industry, 1898-1945

The purpose of this study was to identify the union's role in productivity as well as the relationship between workplace safety and productivity in the U.S. Bituminous Coal Mining Industry for the period 1898-1945. This study provides theoretical models and empirical analysis to investigate the effects of unionism and workplace safety on productivity.;In order to analyze the union and safety effects, first, I sketch a historical evolution of the United Mine Workers of America and their role at the workplace, and investigate the relationship between safety and productivity. Economic theories predict the two faces of unionism and workplace safety at the workplace. Empirical studies support a positive role of unionism in productivity, while the safety's effect on productivity varied over various periods. This study also offers information about the relationship between productivity and other factors, such as strikes, business fluctuations, and mechanization in the bituminous coal mining industry.