NFLPA Statement on Wisconsin's Proposed Right to Work Legislation
For Immediate Release
February 24, 2015
NFLPA STATEMENT ON WISCONSIN'S PROPOSED RIGHT TO WORK LEGISLATION
The NFL Players Association stands together with the working families of Wisconsin and organized labor in their fight against current attacks against their right to stand together as a team.
Devoted food and commercial workers who spend their Sundays servicing our players and fans at Lambeau Field will have their wellbeing and livelihood jeopardized by Right to Work. Governor Scott Walker may not value these vital employees, but as union members, we do. We understand how devastating it would be if they lost the ability to have their workplace conditions and wages guaranteed through collective bargaining. We do not have to look any further than our own CBA to see that a band of workers, joined together as a union, can overcome decades of poor workplace conditions and drastically improve pensions and benefits.
Beyond the stadium, generations of skilled workers have made Wisconsin a warm, welcoming home for our members of the Packers as well as those on visiting teams. Committed men and women in industries such as construction, steel, automotive and communications make it a state where our future members are proud to grow up and attend college, and a place where many of our former players choose to call home after their playing days are over.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that average wages across all industries in right-to-work states were $4 per hour lower than those in non-right-to-work states. One study determined that Wisconsin would see a net loss of between $3.89 and $4.82 billion annually in workers’ incomes. In fact, Governor Walker’s anti-union efforts have resulted in Wisconsin leading the nation in job losses for two months in a row.
This proposed legislation unfairly risks the health and safety of employees by depriving them of on-the-job protections that unions have historically defended. The NFLPA will closely monitor this week’s scheduled hearings and debates and keep its membership informed of any developments.
-- DeMaurice Smith
Executive Director
NFL Players Association
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