The Effects Of Unions On Wages By Occupation In The Public Sector

This study examines union wage premiums by occupation in the public sector in the U.S. for the 2000-2004 period.  In examining union-nonunion wage differences for public sector workers in occupations accounting for 66 percent of all public workers in the 2000-2004 Current Population Survey, we find positive and statistically significant union premiums for 27 out of 41 occupations examined.  We also find large differences among occupations, with miscellaneous teachers and instructors receiving a 61 percent premium, secretaries and administrative assistants receiving a 5 percent premium, and 14 occupations receiving no statistically significant premium.  In comparing union premiums by occupation between the private and public sectors, we find, in most cases, that private sector premiums are larger than public sector premiums.  Finally, an Oaxaca decomposition shows that the majority of the differential between private sector union premiums and public sector union premiums appears to be due to differences in the way unions reward workers in the private and public sectors, not because of differences in the types of workers in the private and public sectors

North Dakota Strategic Freight Analysis: Item IV. Heavier Loading Rail Cars

North Dakota's grain producers rely on an efficient rail system to move their products to export and domestic markets. A recent shift to larger grain hopper cars may threaten the viability of the state's light-density branch line network. This study simulates the impacts of handling larger rail cars on many types of rail lines, model the decision process used by railroads in deciding whether to upgrade such lines or abandon them, estimates the costs of upgrading rail lines that are unlikely to be upgraded, and estimates generalized highway impacts that could result from the abandonment of non-upgraded lines

North Dakota Strategic Freight Analysis Agricultural Sector: Summary Report

In an attempt to provide some of the information that will enable North Dakota firms and policymakers to make better decisions, this project addressed four transportation issues, which are critical to the future of the state's agricultural sector: (1) the impact of 110-car shuttle trains on the marketing of grains, (2) the impact of heavier cars on light-density rail lines, (3) the changing trend in the use of truck/rail container intermodal transportation for marketing North Dakota products; and (4) the role played by logistics factors in determining the optimal location of value-added facilities

Predicting Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome and Renal Replacement Therapy in Shiga Toxin-producing Escherichia coli-infected Children.

BACKGROUND: Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infections are leading causes of pediatric acute renal failure. Identifying hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) risk factors is needed to guide care. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter, historical cohort study to identify features associated with development of HUS (primary outcome) and need for renal replacement therapy (RRT) (secondary outcome) in STEC-infected children without HUS at initial presentation. Children agedeligible. RESULTS: Of 927 STEC-infected children, 41 (4.4%) had HUS at presentation; of the remaining 886, 126 (14.2%) developed HUS. Predictors (all shown as odds ratio [OR] with 95% confidence interval [CI]) of HUS included younger age (0.77 [.69-.85] per year), leukocyte count ≥13.0 × 103/μL (2.54 [1.42-4.54]), higher hematocrit (1.83 [1.21-2.77] per 5% increase) and serum creatinine (10.82 [1.49-78.69] per 1 mg/dL increase), platelet count \u3c250 \u3e× 103/μL (1.92 [1.02-3.60]), lower serum sodium (1.12 [1.02-1.23 per 1 mmol/L decrease), and intravenous fluid administration initiated ≥4 days following diarrhea onset (2.50 [1.14-5.46]). A longer interval from diarrhea onset to index visit was associated with reduced HUS risk (OR, 0.70 [95% CI, .54-.90]). RRT predictors (all shown as OR [95% CI]) included female sex (2.27 [1.14-4.50]), younger age (0.83 [.74-.92] per year), lower serum sodium (1.15 [1.04-1.27] per mmol/L decrease), higher leukocyte count ≥13.0 × 103/μL (2.35 [1.17-4.72]) and creatinine (7.75 [1.20-50.16] per 1 mg/dL increase) concentrations, and initial intravenous fluid administration ≥4 days following diarrhea onset (2.71 [1.18-6.21]). CONCLUSIONS: The complex nature of STEC infection renders predicting its course a challenge. Risk factors we identified highlight the importance of avoiding dehydration and performing close clinical and laboratory monitoring

The Impacts of Deregulation on Railroad Labor

This study examines the impacts that railroad and trucking deregulation had on rail labor earnings and employment. Although the impacts that deregulation has had on pricing. service, profits, and productivity are fairly well understood, its impacts on rail wages and employment have not been well understood. In examining the impacts of deregulation on rail labor earning , the study finds that the real earnings of operating employees in the rail industry, which were steadily declining prior to deregulation, have steadily increased following deregulation. Similarly, the earnings premiums of rail operating employees over similar employees in manufacturing have also increased at a steady rate following deregulation. These results are not surprising in light of the fact that railroad profits and productivity have also increased steadily since deregulation. In examining the impacts of deregulation on employment, the study find a sharp decline in operating employment as a result of deregulation, and a considerable increase in the productivity of labor

Railroad Cost Considerations and the Benefits/Costs of Mergers

This study examines the cost conditions present in the Class I railroad industry. Recent mergers and merger proposals have brought forth questions regarding the desirability of maintaining competition in areas impacted by horizontal mergers and, similarly, the desirability of end-to-end mergers. As we consider the costs and benefits of various merger oversight policies, it is imperative that we understand the welfare effects of such policies. One essential element of such welfare effects is the effects on costs within the industry. In examining the cost conditions in the industry, the study finds that railroads are natural monopolies over current networks. That is, duplicate networks serving the same railroad markets would result in increased industry costs. This suggests that maintaining competition in markets impacted by horizontal mergers is not justified by railroad cost considerations. In examining the potential cost effects of end-to-end mergers, the study finds evidence to suggest that Class l railroads are natural monopolies as networks are expanded

Railroad Costs and Competition: The Implications of Introducing Competition to Railroad Networks

This study examines the cost implications of competition over existing US freight rail lines by testing for the condition of cost subadditivity. The study finds: (1) that there are economies associated with vertically integrated roadway maintenance and transport, suggesting that separating the two would result in increased resource costs; and (2) railroads are natural monopolies in providing transport services over their own network, suggesting that multiple-firm competition over such a network would result in increased resource costs. These findings suggest that policies introducing rail competition through "open access" or on bottleneck segments would not be beneficial from a cost perspective. Moreover, the price decreases necessary for the introduction of such competition to be beneficial would be large. © The London School of Economics and the University of Bath 2003

Do sheepskin effects help explain racial earnings differences?

This study examines the role of sheepskin effects in explaining white-black earnings differences. The study finds significant differences in sheepskin effects between white men and black men, with white men receiving higher rewards for lower level signals (degrees of a college education or less) and black men receiving higher rewards for higher level signals (graduate degrees). In performing an Oaxaca decomposition of earnings differences, it is apparent that signaling plays an important role in explaining white-black earnings differences and that a portion of the gap may be explained by statistical discrimination.Educational economics Human capital Salary wage differentials

8. EARNINGS OF LOW TO MID-LEVEL MANAGERS IN THE AIRLINE, TRUCKING, AND RAILROAD INDUSTRIES

This study examines the earnings and characteristics of low to mid-level managers in the airline, trucking, and railroad industries and changes since deregulation. Moreover, the study examines the hypotheses that managerial quality has improved and that there is a stronger pay for performance relationship as a result of deregulation. The study finds general support for the idea that managerial quality and the returns to managerial quality increased as a result of deregulation. Furthermore, a direct estimation of managerial earnings of railroad workers provides support for a strengthening of the pay for performance relationship as a result of deregulation.