Generally, I detest the idea that so-called “big labor” is a bloated overpaid bureaucracy. Usually those attacks come from places like the Wall Street Journal’s opinion page. But just what have the football players been getting that is worth paying their union head $3 million a year?? Especially in light of the tragic plight of many retired players decribed here by the New York Times and last week by Yahoo Sports. Could finding a way to cover health insurance and a minimal pension for these players be so difficult for today’s union leadership to accomplish? Last year, Congress held hearings into the way the Players Union operates and that is likely to continue this year. Every union has an obligation to help those who worked so hard to establish what current members enjoy. The Mine Workers did so when black lung struck an older generation and the Auto Workers are attempting to do the same with retiree benefits (though with only moderate success). Where the pay gap between one generation and the next is so large, today’s generation has a responsibility to “do the right thing.”

Ex-Players Say Increase in Pensions Is Needed – New York Times