text: If you own a business, do not have a union contract and do not violate any "fair labor practices" regulations, you're pretty much free to negotiate wages. working conditions(withinOSHA and EPA regulations) and benefits with each of your employees....This is not "breaking news."  Public employers, on the other hand, are far more limited.  They usually deal with public unions and "professional associations" who negotiate contracts.  This isn't "breaking news" either.  The public arrangements can serve to both protect "good" workers and "bad" workers as well.  In fact, a "really excellent" teacher will make the same salary as a "barely adequate" teacher with the same years tenure and college credits on the "pay scale."  I have no idea of the flexibility in the University to use a "merit" system to reward "better" professors.  I don't know that there's a simple way for Ms Freyd to compare herself to those "other men."  It will be interesting to see how her case goes...Gary Crum