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Collective Choice of Working Conditions: Hours in British and U.S. Iron and Steel, 1890–1923

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  • Shiells, Martha Ellen

Abstract

Twelve-hour days persisted in British and U.S. iron and steel after most industrial workers worked eight-hour days. When shorter hours finally came, sooner in Britain, they came abruptly. This article presents a model of working hours as public goods; when job attributes are shared there is a collective choice problem. In Britain, a collective bargaining mechanism reconciled the preferences of workers and capital owners and facilitated the move to shorter hours. In the United States immigrants had been willing to work long hours. When immigration was cut off, the government intervened.

Suggested Citation

  • Shiells, Martha Ellen, 1990. "Collective Choice of Working Conditions: Hours in British and U.S. Iron and Steel, 1890–1923," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 50(2), pages 379-392, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:jechis:v:50:y:1990:i:02:p:379-392_03
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    Cited by:

    1. Domènech Feliu, Jordi & Miley, Thomas Jeffrey, 2013. "Structural change, collective action, and social unrest in 1930s Spain," IFCS - Working Papers in Economic History.WH wp13-05, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Instituto Figuerola.
    2. Domenech, Jordi, 2007. "Working hours in the European periphery: The length of the working day in Spain, 1885-1920," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 44(3), pages 469-486, July.
    3. Annie Tubadji & Vassilis Angelis & Peter Nijkamp, 2016. "Endogenous intangible resources and their place in the institutional hierarchy," Review of Regional Research: Jahrbuch für Regionalwissenschaft, Springer;Gesellschaft für Regionalforschung (GfR), vol. 36(1), pages 1-28, February.

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