Proposed unionizing of NCAA players

[Loss]

If this happens, considering WWE's new recruiting tactics, how would this impact the pay scale in developmental? Can someone who has followed this story closer than me put it in perspective? The whole reason for opening the performance center was an attempt to lure athletes of a higher calibre. They don't pay them much in developmental, so I wonder if this would have an impact. Also, would a NCAA player's union put additional pressure on WWE to unionize?

 

I am just trying to wrap my head around this story and any potential impact on WWE, if there would be any at all. I see talk that the unionizing issue may eventually make its way to the Supreme Court.

[PeteF3]

We're a ways off, and the people who follow college football the closest really don't have any idea how it will all ultimately play out. That said, the only thing established right now is that Northwestern football players are considered by the NLRB to be employees of the university, and the precedence set--again, for right now- applies to private universities. Obviously public schools would be the next domino to fall after that, but they fall under state laws rather than federal and schools that are in right-to-work states may see players have a tougher time trying to go that route.

 

The NCAA is more fragmented than any professional league--unionization is almost going to have to be achieved on a school-by-school or at best conference-by-conference basis, unlike the more unified NFLPA, MLBPA, etc.

[Al]

I don't think there's a parallel. The NCAA is an abusive monopoly. The issue is whether the athletes have the right to unionize. We know wrestlers already have the right to unionize. They lacks the means and wherewithal.

[Timbo Slice]

Well, by ruling, if the unionization works, players become "employees" of the school whereas wrestlers are considered independent contractors. WWE has been able to get around this for years, but much like the NCAA, they've become the only game in town. So at some point, if a change was going to happen, it would have to be a collective effort by all the wrestlers who work there to do so.

 

The NCAA has definitely said that this will go the Supreme Court, and in all honesty, they don't have much of a case. I'm not sure it would really impact the WWE all that much considering the majority of people who go to the WWE at 18 instead of college for athletics want WWE to work out more than anything else. That, plus they probably aren't getting offers from big-time NCAA schools.

 

The only possibility that could arise is if the official dropping of the term "Amateur" becomes a part of this deal. If WWE wanted someone to come work out at the Developmental Center when they weren't preparing for the college sport of their choosing, that's something that actually could happen, but it would be very unlikely to actually happen.

[Loss]

That's not really where I was going. What I meant was if the new recruiting goal is to present WWE as a world class organization, the athletes they are recruiting are going to be used to a certain level of pay and union benefits. Could the absence of those things hurt WWE's ability to recruit athletes because the athletes won't go for it? That's more what I meant.

[Slasher]

I don't think so. For all the WWE's ambitions, I don't think they are netting in the disillusioned world class athletes who just wants to get paid for what they do. Besides, even as things are presently structured, football players know that big pay days are in line for them if they work hard for two-three years while getting largely a free or discounted high level education (basketball players know they only need one year and baseball players don't even need to go to college to get MLB opportunities). The only athletes the WWE are likely to attract right now as it is are guys who are in sports that aren't going to be affected much by this unionizing business (wrestling, lacrosse, etc) and/or guys who were already big fans and were interested in a career in pro wrestling anyways (thus the union stuff or lack thereof isn't going to be factored in their decision). Notice how right now most of the guys the WWE are getting out of the top level athletics are washouts or guys who had no other real avenues to make real money or had connections to pro wrestling anyways in their family lineage? Name one guy who was considered a blue chip athlete who actively spurned college level athletics for pro wrestling because of the money?

[NintendoLogic]

Wrestlers are willing to work for peanuts in developmental because of the prospect of earning much bigger money when they get called up. I don't see unionization in the NCAA fundamentally altering that calculus.

[goc]

That's not really where I was going. What I meant was if the new recruiting goal is to present WWE as a world class organization, the athletes they are recruiting are going to be used to a certain level of pay and union benefits. Could the absence of those things hurt WWE's ability to recruit athletes because the athletes won't go for it? That's more what I meant.

No, because those players aren't even asking for pay yet. If and when it gets to that point, it will be a long way off, and the amount that they get paid will be very little. The players from Northwestern are asking for guarantees that they will receive medical coverage for injuries suffered playing sports for the school after they are no longer students.

[Steenalized]

Wrestlers are willing to work for peanuts in developmental because of the prospect of earning much bigger money when they get called up. I don't see unionization in the NCAA fundamentally altering that calculus.

Developmental is more akin to minor league baseball than the NCAA and they even have a union. The WWE is still going to treat these guys as independent contractors rather than employees. Plus if guys are willing to take low (almost no) pay to learn skills and get their foot in the door, then they'll do it.

[Timbo Slice]

I see what you mean now, Loss. Steenalized is on the right track. More like the minor leagues than anything. Shouldn't have anything to do with the developmental business model.

[Jesse Ewiak]

As far as WWE unionization, the thing that has to happen is a wrestler has to have enough 'F U' money to basically go through the long, painful, and involved process of any number of lawsuits that would hopefully end with the recognition that the idea WWE wrestlers are independant contractors is a joke, both legally and in reality. Brock was on his way to doing this in a weird almost accidental way in '05 when he went to New Japan and I think the WWE realized this, so they made a deal with him.

[Al]

This lawsuit might have greater relevance. Minor league players suing for better wages. Keep in mind minor leaguers are not part of the MLBPA.

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/players-sue-for-better-salaries/