ABSTRACT
In collective wage determination the strongest equalizing tendencies emanate from forces of a different nature entirely—the force of organization and the force of ideas. The ideas are concepts of equity and justice which move in an orbit different from that of supply and demand. The equalizing tendencies are of two kinds—comparison and consolidation. Equitable comparison links together a chain of wage bargains into a political system which displays many of the characteristics of an equilibrium relationship. Locality, an essential characteristic of the labor market so far as supply and demand are concerned, is of limited relevance for wage determination. Centralized bargaining is accompanied by consolidation of strategy within the union. Union leadership rivalries are of three kinds. The first takes place within a single union. The second is rivalry among the leaders of separate unions, striving for preferment in the upper reaches of the labor movement. The third is jurisdictional rivalry between dual unions claiming the same territory.
