The Arena Football League Players Union, AFLPU, has joined the AFL-CIO following a unanimous vote by its Board of Player Representatives. The move comes as the league is about to add six teams in China to the fourteen teams that play indoors in the U.S.
With the athletes of the AFLPU, there are 57 international unions representing more than 12 million working men and women in America as part of the AFL-CIO. The Arena Football players’ union represents 350 players, an estimated 90%. The United Auto Workers Union does not belong to the AFL-CIO.
“The labor movement is stronger when all workers– from nurses in California to teachers in New York or arena football players across the country – speak with a collective voice,” said AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka. “We are excited to welcome the AFLPU into America’s labor movement and look forward to working together to improve the lives of all working people.”
The deal is the culmination of a year of discussions between the AFL-CIO and the AFLPU.
“The AFL-CIO’s resources will provide our athletes with training, education and many other benefits that will help us achieve our goal: a workplace that treats athletes fairly and puts player safety first,” said AFLPU Executive Director Ivan Soto. AFLPU Executive Director Ivan Soto.
