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National Football League Players Association

In: Business and Management

Submitted By jvanhatten
Words 750
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National Football League Players Association
Jim VanHatten
HRM 531
July 25, 2012
Sandra Akbar

National Football League Players Association This is a paper discussing the effects of the union on the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA). Specifically, four topics will be addressed – the benefits of joining a union, the unionization process, how the union bargains, and the effects union bargaining has on the NFLPA.
NFLPA’s Benefits of Joining a Union
The initial reasons for beginning to unionize were to get paid for playing in exhibition games and filing lawsuits against the NFL. Players were not paid to play in exhibition games. In addition, in 1946, National Football League (NFL) owners created a rule that banned players for 5 years if he switched leagues to the new All-America Football Conference (AAFC). Players still switched leagues for increased salaries. After switching leagues, Bill Radovich was banned by the NFL and filed the first lawsuit against the NFL with the help of Creighton Miller. More on this lawsuit later. Miller, a former player and current lawyer, helped form the NFLPA in 1956. Miller fought for minimum salaries, league paid uniforms and equipment, and medical benefits. Throughout the years, the NFLPA has fought for these and additional benefits like better health insurance including dental, pensions, revenue sharing, free agency, etc.
The Unionization Process The process of unionization took some time for the NFLPA. The initial attempts started in 1943 when Roy Zimmerman refused to play without being paid. He was subsequently traded to another team. As mentioned above, in 1946, NFL owners banned league transfers. The NFLPA was actually formed when two players from Cleveland contacted Creighton Miller. Miller played football at Notre Dame before becoming a lawyer. In 1956, 11 out of 12 teams in the league announced the creation of the NFLPA. This initial group included legendary football names like Don Shula and Frank Gifford. The NFLPA threatened to bring antitrust against the league but were not taken seriously. These threats were ignored by the NFL owners. The owners finally began to take the NFLPA and the threats seriously when the United States Supreme Court ruled on Radovich v. NFL in 1957. The ruling was that the NFL was subject to antitrust laws. Owners quickly realized more lawsuits would follow if players’ rights were denied. Over the years, there have been many threats, lawsuits, lockouts, work stoppages, etc that have lead to the what the NFLPA is today.
Union Bargaining The NFL and NFLPA participate in collective bargaining. Collective bargaining is defined by Merriam-Webster.com as “negotiation between an employer and a labor union usually on wages, hours, and working conditions”. Since the 1950s, there have been numerous collective bargaining agreements. These CBAs have evolved over time as the league has evolved and grown. The first CBAs covered salaries and insurance. Currently, they cover revenue sharing, the length of the season, and retirement benefits to name only a few. These agreements or in some cases, lack of agreements, have lead to lawsuits, lockouts, missed games, and even the infamous “scab” season. During that season in 1987, replacement players played for three weeks in place of veterans who refused to cross the picket line. In the end, only one week of the season was cancelled and the union voted to go back to work without an agreement in place.
Effects of Union Bargaining on the NFLPA The effects of union bargaining have led to much improved work conditions and benefits for players. At the inception of the league, players may not have even been paid for playing if the owners didn’t feel like it. Now there are minimum salaries, pensions, revenue sharing, free agency, etc. Collective bargaining as well as arbitration also provides protection to players on and off the field. This has all been brought about through collective bargaining. This has resulted in a higher quality of life for the players both while playing and after retirement.
Conclusion
The NFLPA was officially formed in 1956 to recognize and represent players’ interests including wages, hours, and working conditions. Four main topics have been discussed in this paper – the benefits of joining a union, the unionization process, how the union bargains, and the effects union bargaining has on the NFLPA. These processes help protect players in all matters.

References http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NFLPA http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/collective%20bargaining https://www.nflplayers.com/ https://www.nflplayers.com/About-us/History/
https://www.nflplayers.com/about-us/

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