THE EFFECT OF COLLECTIVE BARGAINING ON WAGE DESPERSION BETWEEN MUNICIPAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS
DANIEL G. GALLAGHER AND PETER A. VEGLAHN
DOI: 10.2190/38R3-9RAT-XH2D-HNB2
Abstract
This study examines the effect of public sector bargaining on interemployer differences in salaries paid (wage dispersion) for similar jobs or occupations in the state of Iowa over a thirteen-year period. In contrast to the prevailing findings in the private sector, this study fails to identify a clear trend toward salary level compression between municipal employees for similar jobs. In fact, some indications of a relationship between bargaining and increased interemployer differences (dispersion) is evident. However, the results do indicate that size of the municipality and the presence of a common union bargaining agent effect the degree of interemployer wage dispersion over time. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.