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Why Do Unionized Workers Have More Nonfatal Occupational Injuries?

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  • Donado, Alejandro

Abstract

Most empirical studies have estimated a positive union-nonunion “injury gap,” suggesting that unionized workers are more likely to have a nonfatal occupational injury than their nonunion counterparts. Using individual-level panel data for the first time, I study several explanations for this puzzling result. I find that controlling for time-invariant individual fixed effects already reduces the gap by around 40%. Some of the explanations that I study contribute in reducing this gap even further. I, however, do not find evidence of the gap becoming negative and the impact of unions on nonfatal injuries appears to be insignificant at best.

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  • Donado, Alejandro, 2013. "Why Do Unionized Workers Have More Nonfatal Occupational Injuries?," Working Papers 0551, University of Heidelberg, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:awi:wpaper:0551
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    Cited by:

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    2. Uwe Jirjahn & Jens Mohrenweiser & Stephen C Smith, 2022. "Works councils and workplace health promotion in Germany," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 43(3), pages 1059-1094, August.
    3. Athina Economou & Ioannis Theodossiou, 2015. "Join the Union and Be Safe: The Effects of Unionization on Occupational Safety and Health in the European Union," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 29(2), pages 127-140, June.
    4. Ling Li & Shawn Rohlin & Perry Singleton, 2017. "Labor Unions and Occupational Safety: Event-Study Analysis Using Union Elections," Center for Policy Research Working Papers 205, Center for Policy Research, Maxwell School, Syracuse University.
    5. Dike, Onyemaechi, 2019. "Informal employment and work health risks: Evidence from Cambodia," MPRA Paper 92943, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 24 Mar 2019.
    6. Lai, Tat-kei & Lu, Yi & Ng, Travis, 2022. "Import Competition and Workplace Safety in the U.S. Manufacturing Sector," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 203(C), pages 24-42.
    7. Perry Singleton, 2021. "Behavioral Bias in Occupational Fatality Risk: Theory, Evidence, and Implications," Center for Policy Research Working Papers 242, Center for Policy Research, Maxwell School, Syracuse University.
    8. Ling Li & Shawn Rohlin & Perry Singleton, 2022. "Labor Unions and Workplace Safety," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 75(2), pages 402-426, March.
    9. Bilgrami, Anam & Cutler, Henry & Sinha, Kompal, 2021. "The impact of harmonising Australia’s workplace health and safety laws on workers compensation," GLO Discussion Paper Series 773, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    10. Bilgrami, A. & Cutler, H. & Sinha, K., 2021. "Do standardised workplace health and safety laws and increased enforcement activities reduce the probability of receiving workers' compensation?," Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers 21/08, HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York.

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    Keywords

    labor unions; occupational health and safety; working conditions; panel data;
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