Is what you ask for what you get?

Abstract

The discussion in the previous chapters described a relatively simple world in which workers exclusively concerned themselves with monetary issues and attempted to maximize economistic utilities. Such models would appear to be challenged by the empirical materials presented in Chapter 4. Of the 1,211 grievances presented in Table 4.2, only 368 (or 30.3%) of these were salary offensives or defensives. Even if one treats disputes over late pay, surcharges, and free heat as monetary demands—as one rightfully should—this only raises the percentage of economistic demands to 47.7%. More than half of workers’ demands were over nonmonetary issues.¹