Dan Wetzel, a senior writer known for his investigative reporting and news analysis, highlights the impending leadership transition within the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA). DeMaurice Smith, the longtime executive director, is leaving. Bob Stropp, a long time labor lawyer, advises that it is vitally important that they select a successor who really knows what he’s doing in labor relations and is committed to protecting the players’ rights.
At 77 years old, chief arbitrator Bob Stropp has decades of experience with labor law. He’s worked as the general counsel for the United Mine Workers. His experience extends well past the realm of mining. He’s worked with historic unions such as the United Auto Workers and Teamsters, to numerous professional sports associations. As he weighs in on the NFLPA’s search for new leadership, he draws comparisons to Marvin Miller, the influential figure who transformed Major League Baseball’s players’ union in 1966.
Stropp says this is the kind of leader that the NFLPA should be looking for in Miller’s stead. Miller was at the helm of the MLBPA through the Golden Age of labor relations in professional sports. His visionary leadership—to build a great and powerful union—produced a union that is still strong and influential today.
“The NFLPA needs someone who understands the job and has a strong labor background,” Stropp stated. “They both came from the corporate world and didn’t have a labor fiber in their body,” he added, referring to Howell and Smith’s previous leadership.
The NFL Players’ Association (NFLPA) and NFL team owners’ current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) runs out at the end of the 2030 season. What’s more, this fact underscores the very dire need for a new leader. It is the owners who would be most motivated to lobby for an 18-game schedule, as well as a bigger cut of the pie that is league revenue. Under the previous collective bargaining agreement, players were getting close to 47% of league revenue, all while playing an expanded 17-game schedule. In 2006, players only took home 57.5% of the revenue. They did all this while playing in just 16 regular season games.
Gene Upshaw’s legacy—and his most important accomplishment—was negotiating that great CBA of 2006. This was an era where players were making out pretty well with the increased pie of league profits. Stropp is concerned about Howell and DeMaurice Smith’s attitude going into negotiations. He challenges their big-picture strategy given these advances. He believes that without a leader who has a strong commitment to labor principles, players may find themselves at a disadvantage.
“I have been the guy fighting against unions for the corporation. So, I know exactly how they think and how they do things,” Howell reportedly mentioned during discussions about union strategies. This perspective is deeply troubling to labor advocates. In short, they are concerned that labor interests will be compromised by corporate affiliations making it impossible to truly represent players.
To Stropp, the NFLPA presidency is more than just another position. It requires an all-encompassing, full-time, player-first dedication. “This is a full-time job — you’ve got to be committed to the NFLPA and only the NFLPA,” he asserted, emphasizing the need for an individual who prioritizes player welfare above all else.
This landscape of professional sports is changing quickly, with the financial stakes constantly rising. Owners are forcing players to bend over backwards and do labor for absurd game schedules and revenue sharing requirements. In short, the NFLPA needs a demonstrated track record of principled leadership to be able to fight for their members’ rights.
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