The Determinants of Regional Differences in Strike Rate in the U.S., 1971–77

Abstract

The regional distribution of strike rates from 1971–77 shows high rates in the northern industrial states and a mixture of low, medium, and high rates elsewhere. This paper investigates the four likely causes of this distribution: industrial mix, wages and unemployment, unionization and other organizational-political factors, and militant community or regional attitudes. A Poisson regression model of strike rate shows that industrial mix is the most important factor, accounting for almost 85 percent of the unexplained null model deviance. State levels of unemployment, unionization, and the presence of right-to-work legislation also have significant effects. Little evidence is found to support the idea of militant or docile regions.

Key Words:

• strikes
• unionization
• industrial mix
• militant regions
• Poisson regression
• U.S