Professional Fighters Association (PFA) Forms

[Ziggy Stardust]

http://mmajunkie.com/2016/08/profes...formation-of-union-geared-toward-ufc-athletes

“The Professional Fighters Association (PFA) has been established today to represent the collective interests of the fighters employed by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC),†the release stated. “It is the goal of the PFA to organize these hard-working athletes so that they may collectively bargain their terms and conditions of employment pursuant to the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The PFA will not only be a union of fighters, but it will be governed solely by fighters. It is the fighters who will control their own futures.â€

The UFC’s stance on its fighters has long been that they’re not employees of the company, but instead are independent contractors.

The PFA staff, out of the gate, includes veteran sports agent Jeff Borris, labor lawyer Lucas Middlebrook and economist Andrew Zimbalist.

A UFC official did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the promotion.

The leaders of other pro sports players unions, including those from Major League Baseball, the National Football League, National Hockey League and Major League Soccer, pledged their support of the PFA through quotes provided for the initial news release.

“The scales have been tipped in favor of the UFC for too long,†the release closed with. “It is time for the fighters – the one’s (sic) responsible for the UFC’s success – to receive their equal share.â€

http://www.mmamania.com/2016/8/11/1...s-association-pfa-launches-today-to-represent

PFA has apparently assembled a team of experienced sports professionals that are charged with representing "the collective interests of the fighters employed by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)." Donald M. Fehr (Executive Director for NHL Players Association and MLB Players Association), Tony Clark (Executive Director for MLB Players Association), DeMaurice Smith (Executive Director for NFL Players Association) and Bob Foose (Executive Director for MLS Players Union) were just several of the high-profile names associated with PFA in a recent press release.

Official PFA website:
http://profighters.org/

Click to read more...

 

[kurt]

I came across this a while back too - couldn't find any mention of current or former UFC athletes associated with it though. Any details there? Or what specifically they are planning to implement?

 

[jw2]

I'm not really sure how this will work in the UFC.
Technically, they are independent contractors. They'd be better off fighting the UFC saying they are employees (then unionize) in front of the nlrb. This would grant them some additional employment benefits they don't have, and won't have (necessarily) by organizing.

I anticipate this working similar to how the electrician unions work. If you have a job, you call the union, and they send work. In other words, the union will negotiate for the fighters then take a cut of the pay.

If they aren't "employees" of the UFC, there's not a whole lot that can be negotiated. They can say yes or no to the ufc's offer and the UFC is free to put someone else in the fight.

 

[Rocko604]

Can already see the UFC coming out and saying that any fighter associated with the PFA will be released from their contract and will never fight in the UFC again.

Kind of like what they did with the first EA Sports MMA game. (Though that didn't last long).

 

[tmurfin]

I think the only way this works, is if all/ a lot of fighters hold fight out there contracts and wait to negotiate as a whole. That's the only way it works, the interesting thing will see if any top guys get on board, doing so would mean sacrificing their big pay cheques, to help the small guys.. Not so sure many would be down for that.

 

[jw2]

I think the only way this works, is if all/ a lot of fighters hold fight out there contracts and wait to negotiate as a whole. That's the only way it works, the interesting thing will see if any top guys get on board, doing so would mean sacrificing their big pay cheques, to help the small guys.. Not so sure many would be down for that.

If they have salaries, it'd be different. Imagine if Cain sign a 5 year X $2m deal years ago. He barely fought.

 

[67 others]

http://mmajunkie.com/2016/08/profes...formation-of-union-geared-toward-ufc-athletes


http://www.mmamania.com/2016/8/11/1...s-association-pfa-launches-today-to-represent


Official PFA website:
http://profighters.org/

On the heels of the sale of the UFC lol.

Well, the Fertitta's definitely saw the writing on the wall and sold before this started