Any Word on the Sha'Carri 'Athletes Only' Mtg to Create a Union

What happened to The Athletics Association - the union formed by Christian Taylor in 2019?

She has no idea. She thinks all track athletes should earn $1M. Many people have no comprehension about money.

Freedom of assembly is guaranteed in the First Amendment to the Constitution. The power imbalance is clearly too far in the direction of Max Siegel. Creative ways to empower the athletes is warranted. Sha-Carri's instincts are right, though perhaps a different leader might be needed.

Like most leftist arguments , its extremely dishonest. It’s not even being anti-union. It’s about coerced price manipulation.

Governments do this via price controls. Unions do this via strikes and by threatening anybody who crosses the picket line.

Leftists want you to believe that no one would ever make imoney without unions. Yet, union representation is at all time lows and income per capita is at all time highs.

They just don’t like the free market. That’s why it’s pointless to argue with them.

Without a closed league I am not sure a union works.

I am not an expert but it reminds me of what happened of when NASCAR tried to organize.

NASCAR is surprisingly similar to Track in that for the most part, anyone can build a car and show up to race. They must qualify in and then they get prize money from the race (paid from selling tickets and TV rights). They rely heavily on sponsors. It has changes a bit but broadly its very similar to track.

When the drivers tried to unionize in 1961 the organizers were banned from the sport. NASCAR said "you are not welcome to show up." The rest of the union tried to boycott the race and Nascar invited replacement drivers to come. Guys from lower levels (think college runners). Nascar's leadership has always had the mentality of "no one is bigger than the sport, every driver is replaceable." I think this is even more extreme in track.

Would anything different happen in track? What leverage do these athletes have.

I am pro union but the athletes need to think very carefully how they go about this and what their leverage is.

This isn't an opinion on unions to be clear. I am merely wondering the hypothetical-

Sha'Carri and her union make demands, USATF says no, the union's only leverage is to boycott events, business goes on as usual with a whole bunch more runners showing up for their shot of glory.

Right now 1000s of "professional" runners pursue this sports for pretty much no monetary gain. I just don't see them striking also.

Excellent post. I was thinking how F1/NASCAR is similar to T&F (just in terms of athlete organization).

Also agree that a "closed league" is needed to make the union/association worth it to the athletes. Hypothetically, joining up with the American Track League as a first step? After a few years, it can expand? Perhaps later on working with the Diamond League directors? If you make it advantageous to them, they shouldn't resist it.

I know it usually means adversarial relationships, but it doesn't have to be.

I’m really sure you know that wages for most workers have increased very little over the last 50 years.

pewresearch.org

For most U.S. workers, real wages have barely budged in decades

Drew DeSilver

Adjusted for inflation, today's average hourly wage has about as much purchasing power as it did in 1978. Most wage increases have gone to the highest earners.

Open link

Richardson makes her money from a sponsorship. It is seperate from the host of the meet/league. It makes no sense. She is free to distribute her earnings to all sprintes equally. that would satisfy the goal. But she somehow wants all track athletes to earn a bunch of money like NFL players. She is seing the female soccer players but they have a men's league that earns a lot of money.

F1 is not quite the same as they have the concorde agreement which limits the number of teams that can show up to race and in return those teams get a share of the revenue. So it is closer to a closed league with franchises.

A random team can't build an F1 car and show up and try to qualify like you can in NASCAR or track.

In NASCAR in recent years the teams have been making a push towards a similar style but NASCAR the governing body is adamantly opposed. They just don't want to lose any power/money. I think USATF would do the same.

I do think a league helps to adress a lot of these problems but it fundamentally changes the sport of track and has a lot of drawbacks.

Serious question OP, what and how is this union meant to solve? Sounds like an incoherent mess.

The American Track League is a series of G-league meets, that's not going to get you anything.

Thanks for the F1/NASCAR clarification.

At the end-of-the-day, without a union or an association, the "divide and conquer" strategy employed by Nike/Adidas, etc., hinders the sport. Even restricting sponsorships allowed on their uniforms, limits their earnings potential. Every space of an F1 or NASCAR vehicle or driver suit is covered with logos.

Keeping athletes from discussing their compensation is also keeping the sport in the dark ages. Someone with current star power e.g., Sha'Carri, SML, Noah L., or Athing would need to say, I am publicizing my comp, if you don't like it, I'll sign with someone else. (Just using them as an example, since they are arguably the biggest name in the sport at the moment.)

You’re talking about “real wages” which actually proves my point. The reason for the stagnation is an anti- free market Central Planning agency, the Federal Reserve, continually devaluing the currency.

No striking means no Union. That’s the Union’s primary bargaining power, to shut you down.

The real problem is that it’s not a very popular sport. No one cares

What you’re bringing up is chalk and cheese. Endorsement contracts are rarely published in any sport. There are rumours and reports of that Cristiano Ronaldo is paid by Nike but nothing as a matter of public record. Whereas his club contracts are published, because those are paid for his ability to help his club win matches. His endorsements, however, are to bring positive association to his sponsors.

All things being equal, a 2hr06min marathon runner from Britain or America will make vastly more in endorsements than a man of identical ability from Kenya or Ethiopia. It’s not mystery why this is the case. Tell me if I’m mistaken, but you seem to be advocating for moving towards a model where athletes in our sport make their earnings strictly from ability and not popularity.

Maybe I am all over the place. (Never heard the term 'chalk and cheese', but I like it). Probably most endorsement deals are undisclosed and players salaries are publicly known.

I don't think the Kenyan and American should be paid equally for the same 2h06m 'thon, at least here in the US. Typically, the American would make more because other Americans can identify with him more, so his star/earning power would be greater.

Someone asked, what is my goal (or the goal of the association), I would say that I would like to see them organized like the tennis/golf athletes are. I don't expect them to make the same amount, but instead of a disjointed potpourri of contracts, there is a bare minimum set of benefits that would allow an athlete to pursue a professional T&F career. The comp can be varied, based on the popularity of the event (100m/200m > MDR/LDR > hammer/TJ). Apologies to the hammer/TJs, no disrespect meant. Just using it as an example.

No need to strike, won't get us anywhere. But starting small, again some type of agreement with the American Track League (or other!), would get things rolling. (Maybe the G-league is where we need to start).

USATF is about as corrupt as it get's with the likes of Brooks Johnson, Vin, Max , ect.....

Where is the accountability? Beside lining Max's pockets. Throw the Athletes a bone.

dumb dumb dumb dumb

unions need mass participation of average or below average people, working together, lol. the marxist model.

athletes need a few to be the best, if you dont have the best numbers you are nothing.

athletes are a perfect example of an absolute capitalist system that needs balance from the 'state' stepping in and providing safeguards for the 99%.