An Excerpt from "Sports Are Worth How Much!? And Other Questions In Pro Sports, Answered (Kind Of)"

The following passage is an excerpt from Justin Bedi's Sports Are Worth How Much!? And Other Questions In Pro Sports, Answered (Kind Of), from the chapter “The History and Impact of Unions In Pro Sports”. It has been edited and condensed to appear in this publication.

“Love them or hate them, unions are a part of the way the working world is organized.

The labor movement has touched virtually every corner of the globe and has impacted every industry, from steelmaking and car manufacturing, to the public service and piloting, to the world of professional sports.

Unions are undoubtedly controversial; on a scale from nuisance to difficult problem, business owners see unions as industry death knells, and on the other side, workers see them as vital to protecting their rights. The debate over the impact and effectiveness of unions is fraught with realities, myths, and hyperbole, and this is particularly true of the professional sports industry, because every part of sports is exciting—even the unions.

Unionism in professional sports boils down to an inherent conflict between billionaire owners and millionaire athletes—the kind of drama that drives daytime soap operas. And due to the overwhelming popularity and cultural significance of professional sports in the U.S. and Canada, the everlasting drama between team owners and athletes has been highly publicised and made accessible to the public.

CBA, Contracts, Labor LawJaime MiettinenMarch 12, 2018unions, Labor Law, professional sports, Justin Bedi, NBPA, free agency, MLBPAComment

MLBPA & Klean Athlete Partnership Offers a Way to Keep Baseball Clean

IN THE ENCOURAGING WORDS OF CELINE DION, "A NEW DAY HAS COME," OR AT LEAST WE HOPE SO FOR THE SAKE OF THE MLB'S CREDIBILITY IN THE FUTURE. THE BEST PART IS THAT IT IS JUST IN TIME FOR THE ALL-STAR BREAK AND VARIOUS HONORABLE EVENTS, LIKE THE HOME RUN DERBY, BEING HELD THIS WEEK.

Indeed, the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) entered uncharted territory in the business world, and it involves a component that has has been a major hot topic for over a decade. Professional baseball is changing its strategy to incentivize its athletes to steer clear of products that may lead them - intentionally or unintentionally - to breach the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) and place their future in the league in jeopardy.

The MLBPA and Klean Athlete Nutritional Supplements, an NSF Certified for Sport® line, have formed a non-exclusive partnership that is self-described on Klean Athlete's homepage as a "first-of-its-kind partnership designed to optimize nutritional health and well-being of players."

Jaime, MLB, Performance Enhancement, CBAJaime MiettinenJuly 13, 2015MLBPA, Klean Athletes, nutritional supplements, partnershipComment