Workers of the world, unite

MANIFESTO

With support for labor unions rising, it's interesting to see that the NFL Players' Union has also been thrust into the issue and is facing some of the same problems as other less celebrated folks.

The N.F.L. players union won a significant legal battle Tuesday. In a reversal of a prior ruling, a federal judge in Minneapolis said that the N.F.L. violated an agreement with the players when it negotiated its latest TV contracts. The judge said the league settled for less money in exchange for the continued flow of cash in the event of a work stoppage. The N.F.L. had a duty to maximize revenue for the players, the judge said.

I realize I'm comparing apples and oranges here, primarily because I'm comparing contracts worth millions to contracts worth a tenth of that, but—who knows?—maybe sports fans will realize the corrupt and mendacious ways of the owners and side with labor for a change.

Certainly, the tide seems to be turning in Wisconsin.