Leading Off The Field: Labor-Management Dynamics in the NFL
Institute Director Harry C. Katz and JC Tretter ’13, President of the National Football League Players Association, tackle critical labor issues facing the NFL and the current union landscape.
From concussions to the controversial process surrounding the length of quarterback Deshaun Watson’s suspension, Professor Harry Katz and JC Tretter ’13 tackled the contentious issues facing the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) at their virtual discussion on November 1st. Katz, the Jack Sheinkman Professor of Collective Bargaining and Scheinman Institute Director, and Tretter, President of the NFLPA, addressed union leadership during a volatile labor-management period across the nation.
Focused on helping players fight for better wages, benefits and working conditions, Tretter is applying many of the labor relations and negotiations skills he learned at ILR to a high-profile organization representing about 2,500 players.
“I see my job as leading the players,” Tretter said. “Now, I have a unique background as being an ILR grad. So I have a little more background on unions and how to run them and how to organize, how to create leverage and negotiate. My theme … for the next year is ‘lifting up players’ voices.’ Giving players a public platform to speak out about what they want.”
Reflecting on the NFLPA’s role in the broader world of labor relations, Tretter said the organization tries to be as involved in the greater labor movement as possible. “Back in 2011, when the NFL locked us out, the Teamsters went to the league and said if you bring in scabs there will be no garbage picked up, there will be no stadium workers at your stadium, we will not do anything for you, it will be over. And that was huge for us. So we try to pay it forward as well and do what we can to use our voice and our platform to help other individual unions and the greater labor movement itself.”
The discussion can be viewed here.