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> Footballers first unionized in 1907 and haven't looked back since Incorrect, the first footballer's union was from 1898 [1]. > I don't think unionization h

> Footballers first unionized in 1907 and haven't looked back since Incorrect, the first footballer's union was from 1898 [1]. > I don't think unionization had any effect on their salaries Despite the existence of the union, clubs could impose a salary cap on players well into the 1960s, and could trade them like slaves under the "retain-and-transfer" system [2] until the EU forbade that practice in the 1990s [3]. All in all, football is a very bad example for the success of unions. Unions helped jack shit to get players out of an exploitative situation - every improvement was hard-won in courts by individual footballers. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_Footballers%27_Union https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_Footballers%27_Uni... [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retain_and_transfer_system https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retain_and_transfer_system [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosman_ruling https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosman_ruling

CydeWeys 6y ago
> and could trade them like slaves under the "retain-and-transfer" Don't you see a little bit of an issue with this wording? Namely that said players were paid for their labor and could quit playing football at any time?
Mauricebranagh 6y ago
But when Jimmy Hill became secretary the PFA did succeed in vastly improving things early 1960's
pmyteh 6y ago
The abolition of the maximum wage was arguably a consequence of organisation by the PFA under Jimmy Hill. I agree that the picture is mixed.
grumple 6y ago
The NBPA has overseen a huge increase in NBA player's wages over the past few decades, both at the top and for the average or minimum player. Yes, there's a salary cap, but that actually helps the vast majority of players, because otherwise Lebron would get paid 200M/year and the minimum/average players would get basically nothing, and it also ensures competitiveness. A salary cap is not a reason unions are bad when the salary cap is 800x the average person's income...

CydeWeys 6y ago

> and could trade them like slaves under the "retain-and-transfer" Don't you see a little bit of an issue with this wording? Namely that said players were paid for their labor and could quit playing football at any time?

Mauricebranagh 6y ago

But when Jimmy Hill became secretary the PFA did succeed in vastly improving things early 1960's

pmyteh 6y ago

The abolition of the maximum wage was arguably a consequence of organisation by the PFA under Jimmy Hill. I agree that the picture is mixed.

grumple 6y ago

The NBPA has overseen a huge increase in NBA player's wages over the past few decades, both at the top and for the average or minimum player. Yes, there's a salary cap, but that actually helps the vast majority of players, because otherwise Lebron would get paid 200M/year and the minimum/average players would get basically nothing, and it also ensures competitiveness. A salary cap is not a reason unions are bad when the salary cap is 800x the average person's income...