The United Football Players’ Association—a nonprofit that champions the interests of players who aren’t represented by the NFLPA—has scored a touchdown in the labor world. Later this morning the United Steelworkers, one of the nation’s largest and most influential unions, will announce an affiliation with the UFPA. The affiliation will empower the UFPA in representing players in the USFL, XFL and other pro football leagues.
As part of the new affiliation, the USW and UFPA will advocate for players who face payroll issues and healthcare challenges. It will also assist them in navigating the complexities of workers’ compensation policies as well as push for improved travel accommodations, practice facilities and scheduling. Further, the two associations will demand transparency around salaries, so that players and their agents know what other players earn.
While NFL players are certain that their league, whose franchises have a collective value of $112 billion, will remain in business for the duration of their careers, it’s a different story for players in other football leagues. In 2019, the Alliance for American Football Players abruptly collapsed due to financial woes, leaving AAFP players without pay and in some cases stranded in road cities. A year later, the XFL declared bankruptcy and was shuttered during the onset of the pandemic.
Players in alternative football leagues now have a powerful advocate. The USW represents 850,000 men and women employed in manufacturing, chemicals, tech, public sector and service occupations, among other professions. It has substantial expertise in labor negotiations and can play a key role in keeping management honest.
“Joining a union to bargain for better treatment right now is the most important step we can take to raise our standard of living in the future,” said UFPA president Kenneth Farrow II.
Farrow, 28, played in the NFL, AAF and XFL. In recalling how he suffered injuries and “assisted other players through several league bankruptcies,” Farrow realized “we cannot rely on [leagues] to ensure our job security and financial stability.”
The UFPA-USW affiliation arrives just in time for the USFL draft, which will take place on Feb. 22 and 23. As for the XFL, it plans to return in 2023. The XFL is under new ownership—a group led by RedBird Capital Partners CEO Gerry Cardinale, businessperson Dany Garcia and actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
