Three players will join Russell Okung in vying for the role of NFLPA president. Browns center J.C. Tretter, Giants safety Michael Thomas and Buccaneers linebacker Sam Acho have received nominations for union president, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
Okung, who unveiled his candidacy earlier this year, was also nominated Monday. Okung, Thomas and Acho are current members of the NFLPA’s executive committee. Tretter serves as the Browns’ third co-alternate union representative.
The NFLPA will elect its next president on Tuesday; the union’s board members are meeting in south Florida this week to discuss key matters. One item obviously overshadows the rest this week. Players now have until 10:59pm CT Saturday to vote on the CBA. The NFLPA voted Monday to delay the deadline for two days.
Eric Winston has served in the role since 2014, but he will cycle out of it after ending his playing career after the 2018 season. The next president may or may not be thrust into a high-stakes situation. If more than 50% of players vote against CBA ratification, the 2020 season will be played under the 2011 CBA. That CBA expires in March 2021. Players voting against the proposal will increase the prospects of a strike or lockout next year.
Of the new members, Okung and Thomas submitted “no” votes on the CBA; Acho voted “yes” on the proposal, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets. Tretter did not indicate which way he has voted on the owners’ offer, Pelissero adds (via Twitter). Okung has been a hard-liner against the 17-game schedule, so much so he filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board against the staff of the NFLPA, Ken Belson of the New York Times reports.
Okung’s filing accuses union executive director DeMaurice Smith of forcing a union-wide CBA vote despite objections from the executive committee, Belson adds. The executive committee voted 6-5 in February not to recommend the owners’ CBA proposal, and after the Combine meeting, the executive committee was at 7-4 against recommending the CBA, Belson reports. However, the union’s 32-player board voted to send the proposal for a union-wide vote.
Should the recent Panthers trade acquisition receive the keys after the players vote down a proposal Smith and Winston championed, the league could be set for period of uncertainty over the next several months.
Considering the fact that Tretter has a degree in the Labor Relations field from an Ivy League school, he is out. Just makes too much sense for the players to have a smart guy in that field represent them moving forward.
Michael Thomas as a degree in business management from The U. He also attended Stanford. Undrafted. Worked his way up from the practice squad to a Pro Bowler. That’s toughness. Enjoys writing in his spare time, so he shows a knack for creative thinking.
He’d be a good choice, too.
Why are we pretending this is a labor union? It’s a union for millionaire athletes. A labor union would represent all the people working actual jobs. Attendants, retailers, ushers, lackies, drivers… Millionaire entertainers are not in some labor dispute…
The average NFL player plays about 3 seasons and makes an annual salary of between $800K-$900K, before taxes. They’ll likely have health problems to deal with afterwards for the rest of their lives. Kids to take care of. Divorces are common. You and me will probably never know their names. They don’t get endorsement deals. They’re not set for life, not even close. The NFLPA is supposed to be about them. Not the gazillionaires.
You want an NFL Employee Union that covers the field crew, to the quarterbacks, to the concession workers? Fine. Sounds like a good idea. But don’t deny the NFLPA is a labor union.