The NFLPA didn’t officially respond to the effort by 20 former players to expel the union from the AFL-CIO, perhaps because it didn’t need to.
AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka has rejected the request, communicated in a letter written by lawyer Michael Hausfeld, to kick the football players’ union out of the organization.
“The claims of Mr. Hausfeld are simply misguided and unfounded,” Trumka said in a statement released by the AFL-CIO. “We should all applaud the fierce advocacy the NFLPA has demonstrated for its members, and for all working people. Under the leadership of DeMaurice Smith, the NFLPA has represented its members to secure significant gains for both active and former players including the unprecedented Legacy Benefit which alone will provide $620 million to former players over the course of the agreement. There is no doubt that the labor movement is stronger with the affiliation of the NFLPA. Mr. Hausfeld’s same arguments were thrown out decisively by a judge only a few weeks ago, and are no differently viewed today.”
So there you have it. On the very same day the request was made, the request was rejected.