Sunday At Last, Sunday Football! And It Comes with a Union Label

[Omaha Steve]

X post in Socialist-Progressive


http://blog.workingamerica.org/2014/09/07/sunday-at-last-sunday-football-and-it-comes-with-a-union-label/


The first Sunday of the NFL season is here—the world champion Seattle Seahawks kicked off the action Thursday with a 36–16 win over the Green Bay Packers. But while we are settling into our recliners and couches or at our favorite sports bar, thousands of union members, on and off the field, are making sure the games run as smoothly as Peyton Manning’s two-minute drill.

From Soldier Field in Chicago to “Jerry World” in Dallas and at stadiums around the country, nearly 1,700 members (active and practice squad players) of the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) are seeing their first action of the 2014 season. The other folks on the field—the men in the striped shirts—are members of the NFL Referees Association.

The announcers, camera operators, technicians, field workers and other hardworking folks bringing the game to your flat-screened football cave or favorite bar include members of SAG-AFTRA, National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians-CWA (NABET-CWA), Electrical Workers (IBEW) and Laborers (LIUNA).

For the fans who head for the concessions in many stadiums, their hot dogs will be served and their beer will be drawn by union members, including the 25,000 UNITE HERE members who work at some 58 NFL and other major league stadiums and arenas.

If you didn’t get a chance earlier this year, check out how one Seahawk fan and IBEW Local 191 member transformed himself into the large, green and angry SeaHulk—far more frightening than the Seattle secondary. Our friend David Groves at the Washington State Labor Council’s (WSCL’s) The Stand reported in February the story of how the local area contractors and others came together and raised the funds to make sure the SeaHulk (aka Tim Froemke) and his crew of body painters made it to the Super Bowl. Groves also pointed out that the Seahawks players are affiliates of the WSCL.

Check out this handy list of union-made products below so you can plan NFL Sunday watch parties that are all union, all the way:

[customerserviceguy]

1. You can add Leinenkugel's to the list

Their summer shandy is quite tasty, I prefer it to all the suds you list above.

Speaking of union activities, I'm a bit chagrined that my Seattle Seahawks defense seemed to be on strike this afternoon...

[Omaha Steve]

2. It is tricky

They list Fritos snacks. But not all plants are unionized. The CB, IA plant was non-union when it closed. The work went south to a unionized plant. Just like some Tyson meat plants are union, some not.

I once got Grain Belt beer added to the list. I guess they got this from an older list?

OS

[Brickbat]

3. I always thought Leinie's drivers were union, but the ones at the plant weren't.

I could be wrong.

[customerserviceguy]

4. Here's the list I went off of:

http://www.unionplus.org/union-made/beers

Also, the union label on each can or bottle of Leinie's, too.

[Brickbat]

5. I haven't seen a union label on Leinie's in years.

But you're right, this article says it is:

http://nwlaborpress.org/2014/07/union-beer/

Molson does say "union made" on its cans and bottles.

[customerserviceguy]

6. You made me get out my magnifying glass

and indeed, the bottle label from the summer shandy does NOT say "Union Made", but the bottom of the 12 pack that it came in does truly bear those words.

It's getting harder to find in many ways.

[Brickbat]

7. Hee, I was looking at a bottle of the shandy, too!

I don't like it; it's been sitting there after someone brought it. But I did dig it out to check.

That's why I like the Molson: right there on the label of every bottle and can.