I always like getting to write about sports stars doing progressive things... whether it's the NHL's Sean Avery supporting marriage equality or MLB teams telling LGBT teens that "it gets better," it's nice to see when sports players—who are often stereotyped as egotistical and self-centered because of some players' actions—take a stand for progress.
Which is why it's so wonderful to see the NFL Players' Association—the union that represents the NFL players—taking a strong stand against the so-called "right to work" bill that Indiana Republicans are trying to pass in order to break unions in that state.
Since it's a press release, I don't think it's a violation of copyright to post this in its entirety... though if I'm wrong, please do let me know so I can snip it back a bit.
WASHINGTON – As NFL players, we know our success on the field comes from working together as a team. We’re not just a team of football players – we’re also the fans at games and at home, the employees who work the concession stands and the kids who wear the jerseys of our favorite football heroes. NFL players know what it means to fight for workers’ rights, better pensions and health and safety in the workplace.
To win, we have to work together and look out for one another. Today, even as the city of Indianapolis is exemplifying that teamwork in preparing to host the Super Bowl, politicians are looking to destroy it trying to ram through so-called “right-to-work” legislation.
“Right-to-work” is a political ploy designed to destroy basic workers’ rights. It’s not about jobs or rights, and it’s the wrong priority for Indiana.
The facts are clear – according to a January 2012 Economic Policy Institute briefing report (“Working Hard to Make Indiana Look Bad”), “right-to-work” will lower wages for a worker in Indiana by $1,500 a year because it weakens the ability of working families to work together, and it will make it less likely that working people will get health care and pensions.
So-called “right-to-work” bills divide working families at a time when communities need to stand united. We need unity – not division. We urge legislators in Indiana to oppose “right-to-work” efforts, and focus instead on job creation.
As Indianapolis proudly prepares to host the Super Bowl it should be a time to shine in the national spotlight and highlight the hard working families that make Indiana run instead of launching political attacks on their basic rights. It is important to keep in mind the plight of the average Indiana worker and not let them get lost in the ceremony and spectacle of such a special event. This Super Bowl should be about celebrating the best of what Indianapolis has to offer, not about legislation that hurts the people of Indiana.
There may be no better demonstration of the benefits of organized labor over the past few decades than professional sports. 4-5 decades ago, professional athletes, despite bringing team owners massive profits, were paid very little and had almost no job security; they'd bring hundreds of thousands of paying fans through the turnstiles every season, but still have to work another job in the offseason.
That changed when professional athletes started to unionize and demand their rights and a bigger share of the profits they were creating for the teams. Sure, there have been ugly player strikes and ugly lockouts, and fans have often believed the team owners' propaganda about players being "greedy" for wanting to take home more of the money people were paying to watch them play, but it's clear that professional sports is one arena (pardon the pun) where the workers are strong, visible, and willing to go to the mat for their right to a share of the wealth they're bringing in.
I'm glad the NFLPA is sticking with the working people of Indiana against job-killing, union-breaking so-called "Right to Work" legislation—particularly since, as their release notes, the nation's eyes are going to be on Indianapolis in a few weeks as the players take the field for the Super Bowl, America's biggest single media event of the year.
This could be a great way to let your friends and family know that so-called "right to work" legislation hurts workers—by appealing to some of their favorite football stars. Spread the NFLPA's release far and wide.