Late last week, Teamsters Local 986 and UNITE HERE’s Culinary Union Local 226 announced it would be working to organize UFC fighters. In rebuttal to this opposition, the UFC provided a letter to its contracted fighters recognizing these efforts and advising them that there is an ulterior motive by the unions to use the fighters for an ulterior purpose.
In an email, the teamsters indicated that it is working with MMAFA in helping them with efforts to expand the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act to include mixed martial arts fighters. The Ali Act is a federal law enacted to protect boxers from abuses from promoters and managers.
The Culinary Union Local 226 is the same union that has been an impediment to efforts by the UFC to lobby the New York legislature for a bill to legalize MMA in the state. Yet again, the UFC efforts have failed to produce a vote on the measure in 2015.
In correspondence to its contracted fighters from UFC’s Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer Kirk D. Henrick sent the following:
Dear Athletes,
You may see media reports in the days ahead about some union tactics that are both shameful and pathetic. The Culinary Workers Union Local 226 in Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Teamsters union allegedly have devised a plan to “organize MMA fighters.” The reason this is pathetic is that the Culinary Union is the exact same union that has spent years, as well as the money from its dues-paying members, to do everything imaginable to keep MMA out of New York and to run a campaign telling UFC fans, sponsors and government officials to not support the professional sport that all of you compete in. They even created a website called “Unfitforchildren.org” to try and hurt the UFC, the sport of MMA and the very same athletes that they suddenly claim to care so much about.
Now, they are making more accusations against the UFC and they apparently believe that if MMA athletes would support the unions’ organizing efforts, sign union cards and agree to pay dues to the union every month, then the world of MMA would be a better place. Not only is such a mission misguided, it hides the unions’ only real interest, which is organizing workers at Station Casinos in Las Vegas, NV. They hope that by applying pressure to the UFC that somehow it will increase their chances in Las Vegas. Certainly, we will admit that their old tactics haven’t been working because they have been harassing Station Casinos, its employees and customers for over 15 years and they have yet to organize even one Station Casinos’ property.
There is a lot more that we could go into about these unions and their tactics, but for the time being, I’ll just point out the most obvious and illogical fact about this latest tactic. As a matter of law, unions can only organize employees, and as we all know, MMA athletes are independent contractors—not employees. You would think that union leaders would have done that little bit of research before issuing a press release.
On behalf of everyone in the UFC, please know that we consider all of you to be amazing athletes and we are proud to have created a worldwide platform where you can compete in the sport you love and be compensated for it. For that reason, we will not sit by and let a group that has publicly demonstrated that it wants to destroy our beloved sport try to do so by lying to you. We will fight them with the truth and we will win.
(via Front Row Brian and Bloody Elbow)
In an interview with Bloody Elbow’s John Nash, a representative for Local 986 stated that its goal was to “organize all mma fighters” and not just UFC fighters. The union and teamster involvement is based on fighters reaching out to them for assistance.
Payout Perspective:
It will be interesting to see how much UFC fighters will listen to the union/teamsters. Moreover, what will come out of the involvement? It was clear that the UFC needed to respond to the announcement just to make sure that its contracted fighters knew the UFC already had knowledge of the role of the union/teamsters. Outside of the UFC, will MMA fighters seek to organize? Or, will the fear of backlash from the UFC or an MMA promotion hurt chances of organizing?
As for the announcement that they are working to amend the Ali Act, I could see this happening. But how much will it help as the Act is presently constructed? How many fighters have successfully sued a promoter using the Ali Act? Moreover, how many are willing to pay the attorney fee expense? If there are amendments made to the Ali Act which would make the use of it more accessible to fighters, I would be behind such amendments. But, if the goal is just to include MMA, I am not sure how much it helps.
Logical says
The Unions’ motives are definitely questionable, but the fighters should use it to their advantage. We all know this is really a fight to unionize station casinos and since the unions are not getting what they want there then they will try to hurt them any other way; like lobbying against the NY MMA Bill or organizing the fighters, you can bet your ass that if Station Casinos all of the sudden allowed their workers to unionize then all of this would magically go away. Still, the fighters should smarten up and take advantage of this opportunity and have at least some form of association that can look out for their best interest & bargain for them.
Logical says
The unions do make a good case and I agree with this statement:
“I think you have to remember it isn’t always about pay. It’s also giving them a voice in how the policies are made or how the game is played. They can make all the money in the world but if they don’t have a voice and they start changing the rules and regulations they can be out in an instance. We are trying to help them get a seat at the table.”
The Reebok deal is the perfect example of the fighters lacking a voice & representation at the negotiating table; The UFC made a decision that hurt them financially and put them out of the game. It’s funny how in that letter the CLO states how the fighters are not employees but independent contractors (which is true), yet the UFC expects them to call Dana their ‘boss’, have a dress code, code of conduct, exclusivity, brutal contracts and expect them to act as employees while giving them NONE of the benefits of it.
tops E says
Hahahahahaha..panic time for zuffa” we consider all of you to be amazing athletes” that are paid peanuts….kiss ass move…..fighters should join.perfect timing what will ufc do? Kick them out? Then they can go to bellator with theyre sponsors….
tops E says
Ali act now for mma…stop the cheapie promotions dictatorship hahahaha
JF says
“It’s funny how in that letter the CLO states how the fighters are not employees but independent contractors (which is true), yet the UFC expects them to call Dana their ‘boss’, have a dress code, code of conduct, exclusivity, brutal contracts and expect them to act as employees while giving them NONE of the benefits of it.”
Amen.
d says
Tops hasn’t seen sunlight in months.
tops E says
Hahahaha….fans should push for ali act in mma…the same way they made a statement on duran firing…causing reebok to respond…..fight the power hahahahaha