Faculty Salaries and Alternative Forms of Representation

Abstract

The effects of different forms of collective representation (unions and special plans with and without binding arbitration) on faculty salaries are estimated for Ontario universities, 1970-2004. Compared to status-less faculty associations, unions had virtually no effect while special plans without binding arbitration led to lower salaries. Special plans with binding arbitration yielded higher salaries. The data also show severe compression and inversion in the age-salary profiles in the 2000s and large decreases in the salary differentials between full and associate professors. Average salaries were lower the higher the proportions of women faculty in the 1970s, but the effect dissipated and even reversed itself by the end of the sample. Finally, faculty salaries responded to the cost of living in the university’s city and faculty salaries were higher, on average, in universities with higher average research productivity.