Unions Look Expand Control Over the National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) assistant coaches are considering unionizing after some NFL owners amended retirement plans last year. This news comes amidst contract disputes with the National Football League Players Association which may result in a lockout in 2011.
“The unionization of assistant coaches could exasperate the already tense relationship between ownership and players. Owners already have to deal with the cut throat players’ union, if assistant coaches organize, 2011 could be a year without football. Fans should be weary,” said Brian Johnson, Executive Director of the Alliance for Worker Freedom.
There is no precedent for the unionization of assistant coaches – current labor law prohibits employees considered supervisors by the NFL to unionize. Though the plan is still in its infancy and many of the details are undefined, assistant coaches wish to revive the old pension model, the so-called “rule of 75.” Coaches with a combined age and number of years coaching experience equal to 75 are given the ability to retire early through a team pension plan.
“The desire to revert to a defined benefit pension plan, where autonomy and personal investment decisions are severely limited, is dangerous for the assistant coaches. Current union managed pension plans are underfunded by billions of dollars nation-wide. Union politics can often interfere with the legally-binding fiduciary obligation controllers of the plan take, putting the assets of the coaches at risk,” Johnson concluded.
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