wrestlers' union?

[ministrychick77]

so i'm having a discussion with my boyfriend.. we're talking about whether a wrestlers' union would ever happen.

what do you think? pros/cons, thoughts?

[Droford]

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[YoungFlyFlashy]

so i'm having a discussion with my boyfriend.. we're talking about whether a wrestlers' union would ever happen.

what do you think? pros/cons, thoughts?

Not as long as Vince is alive. I hope that whoever takes over the family business from Vince (Triple H I bet) does a lot of things for the wrestlers that makes a healtier place to work.

[CSL]

Only way it will happen is if something is forced upon them by the government, which is never going to happen because wrestling is just that fake sport on TV that idiots watch. It would take somebody in a high powered position (think Triple H, Undertaker etc) to even dream of starting something and they'd need the backing of the majority of the roster. Which given the nature of the beast, is never going to happen.

A different/smaller company implementing something and becoming successful after the fact is pretty much the only way I see it happening.

[DLVH84]

Well, back in the 1980's, Jesse Ventura was the first one to come up with the idea of having a union for wrestlers, but a certain stooge (Hulk Hogan) told Vince of Jesse's plans.

Honestly, I think it would be a good thing, because the wrestlers could get the insurance they need for their medical bills.

[bigslimjj]

I thought Vince paid for most of their injuries,and if they can't pay for a flu shot on 75,000 a year then something's wrong.

[YoungFlyFlashy]

I thought Vince paid for most of their injuries,and if they can't pay for a flu shot on 75,000 a year then something's wrong.

This is way to easy. I'll give someone else the honor.
:shifty:

[illmatic]

I thought Vince paid for most of their injuries,and if they can't pay for a flu shot on 75,000 a year then something's wrong.

Why would you get a flu shot for a injury?

Anyways... 75,000 might sound like a lot, but its really not. I make decent money and still coudn't imagine not having real insurance. Having my "boss" take care of the bill when I might not have the job the following week would not make me feel very secure.

It's also not about immediate injuries. Those guys beat themselves up over years and the time they will need the coverage is after they have retired. There are hundreds of midcard wrestlers who never made more than 60-80 in their best years. How are they going to pay for 500,000 worth of doctors bills?

However, I do not think a union is the way the fix the insurance problem.....

[Next Big Thing]

Unions are bad for business. No one on management's side would ever suggest a union. It would take Cena, Orton, and a couple of others demanding it for that to ever go into effect, and those guys will never do that because they're the highest paid people in the business and have no need or incentive for a union and the mid carders could never form one because they're expendable in that if they left there's someone in TNA or ROH willing to take their place.

[bigslimjj]

You wouldn't get a flu shot for an injury.What I meant is on 75 grand a year you can manage most normal health costs for yourself. Once you leave ANY company you no longer have insurance. They should be given the option to get insurance on their immediate family while with the company. Also any wrestler that appears in any other type of movie or acts on a show can get insurance through the Screen actors guild so the ones that have done that have an option. if I work at the airport loading planes all my life and lose hearing the airport won't claim it was their fault. I could sue and maybe win,more then likely not though.

[bostonbill41]

Unions are bad for business. No one on management's side would ever suggest a union. It would take Cena, Orton, and a couple of others demanding it for that to ever go into effect, and those guys will never do that because they're the highest paid people in the business and have no need or incentive for a union and the mid carders could never form one because they're expendable in that if they left there's someone in TNA or ROH willing to take their place.



I think we're talking about a pretty small circle of performers here. I wouldnt want to do the amount of traveling they have to do but Im assuming Vince picks up the tab on this.

[Next Big Thing]

I think we're talking about a pretty small circle of performers here. I wouldnt want to do the amount of traveling they have to do but Im assuming Vince picks up the tab on this.

Travel costs are covered for only a few guys like Cena, HHH, and Orton. Others are on their own.

[bostonbill41]

Travel costs are covered for only a few guys like Cena, HHH, and Orton. Others are on their own.

I cant believe that non- stars are paying their own travel expenses,especially with shows tow or three times a week that dont even make it on TV.

[Next Big Thing]

If you knew the definition of an independent contractor you would believe it.

Here's a link to the payroll from 2006. It's dated but you can see who gets what in terms of perks. http://www.wrestlescoop.com/info/salaries.shtml

[Hanso Amore]

What does your boyfriend think of you postinf naked pictures of you and your cat on the internet?

I bet that while you had this talk, he has a shirt on that featured either a wolf howling at the moon, or a Dragon.

[Kane Knight]

What I meant is on 75 grand a year you can manage most normal health costs for yourself.
Define "Normal."

WWE isn't exactly an office job. Well, not for the wrestlers in question.

if I work at the airport loading planes all my life and lose hearing the airport won't claim it was their fault.

The airport also has required safety procedures, some of them federally mandated. WWE doesn't have that kind of mandatory safety structure, even if you think the Wellness Policy works.

If you lose your hearing due to employer negligence, however, you have routes entirely unavailable to pro wrestlers. Injured on the job? There's a lot there. Discriminated against? Covered. Abused? Also covered.

I could sue and maybe win,more then likely not though.

Depends on the circumstances.

If you were the victim of any of the above, you could win against an airport but not WWE. They like to play Shrodinger's Cat with their employee status, to boot, but that's another story. Raven's "But it's not fair!!!!" Lawsuit lost in part because of this.

If you're suing because you're a dumb shit who never wore ear protection or followed other standard guidelines, you'd be laughed out of court.

but you'd deserve it.

[bostonbill41]

If you knew the definition of an independent contractor you would believe it.

Here's a link to the payroll from 2006. It's dated but you can see who gets what in terms of perks. http://www.wrestlescoop.com/info/salaries.shtml

Interesting, but it points out only those that got "First Class", not who had to pay for travel out of their own pockets.

[Rollermacka]

What does your boyfriend think of you postinf naked pictures of you and your cat on the internet?

I bet that while you had this talk, he has a shirt on that featured either a wolf howling at the moon, or a Dragon.

Wow, thank you Hanso for your intuitive and professional insight into the thought of a Wrestlers' Union :wave:


I dont really think there is a real need for a union in wrestling. I see wrestling in alot of ways like any other tough job. WWE offers benefit packages to include rehab and surgury (I dont see them just releasing a wrestler because he torn his quad muscle without helping fix it first). I believe in personal responsibility. Everybody who wrestles is an adult and if you allow yourself to be walked over you will be taken adavantage of Union or not.


Side note, I got to use the word "intuitive". I'm gonna try and incorporate that into daily conversations :yes:

[Next Big Thing]

Interesting, but it points out only those that got "First Class", not who had to pay for travel out of their own pockets.

http://www.helium.com/items/564127-a-glimpse-in-the-life-of-professional-wrestlers
http://www.wrestlingnewsworld.com/ask-wnw/tna-ratings-wwe-travel-daniel-bryan-triple-h-vs-sheamus.php

Read this article and try to comprehend the content. I'm doing you a favor since you obviously aren't capable of doing your own research.

[Vastardikai]

Depends on the circumstances.

If you were the victim of any of the above, you could win against an airport but not WWE. They like to play Shrodinger's Cat with their employee status, to boot, but that's another story. Raven's "But it's not fair!!!!" Lawsuit lost in part because of this.

I had to look up Shrodinger's Cat. I swear, I learn something new from you on a weekly basis. It's an apt discription of WWE's "Independent contractors."

[bostonbill41]

http://www.helium.com/items/564127-a-glimpse-in-the-life-of-professional-wrestlers
http://www.wrestlingnewsworld.com/ask-wnw/tna-ratings-wwe-travel-daniel-bryan-triple-h-vs-sheamus.php

Read this article and try to comprehend the content. I'm doing you a favor since you obviously aren't capable of doing your own research.


Take you BS attitude and shove it. Research that.

[YoungFlyFlashy]

Take you BS attitude and shove it. Research that.

Educated and still mad.

BostonBill41: :mad:

[Next Big Thing]

Take you BS attitude and shove it. Research that.

http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs36/i/2008/262/2/9/TDK__Why_So_Serious__by_Sanctioned.jpg

[illmatic]

You wouldn't get a flu shot for an injury.What I meant is on 75 grand a year you can manage most normal health costs for yourself. Once you leave ANY company you no longer have insurance. They should be given the option to get insurance on their immediate family while with the company. Also any wrestler that appears in any other type of movie or acts on a show can get insurance through the Screen actors guild so the ones that have done that have an option. if I work at the airport loading planes all my life and lose hearing the airport won't claim it was their fault. I could sue and maybe win,more then likely not though.


1. If you work for most multi-million dollar companies, once you leave the company with 20(whatever that companies number is) you most likely WILL have insurance along with a pension. However I do understand they independent contractors. The problem here is, most independent contractors belong to a trade union which you can also receive insurance from once you retire. I am not sure what companies you are speaking about, but its def not a major company or a company hiring union contractors.

2. What is "normal" health costs? I would say any job that is as absusive to the workers bodies as wrestling, the "normal" health problems related aren't a flu shot. Look at the NFL players crying about health insurance. These are guys making millions and at very least hundreds of thousands a year. THEY can afford their own insurance, wrestlers... not so much.

3. I DO NOT think a union is the way to fix this! I believe running a company that treats its employees as human beings and not as work horses is the fix. Have a system where if you work X amount of years, you qualify for insurance. If you work Y amount of years, you qualify for a pension. Will it happen... NOPE, but it's worth the thought.

4. Its already been said, but there are safety laws in place to protect airline employees and their hearing. If they lost their hearing because of neglect from the company, you are damn sure the employee will be paid for the cost of insurance bills. Reasearch the amount of disability paid each year by companies in the US. This simply will not happen in this country because majority of people do not look at pro wrestlers as "real" workers. That that as you want to.

5. How many pro wrestlers star in movies?? 10? 15?

[bostonbill41]

Educated and still mad.

BostonBill41: :mad:

Hey im not mad, I don't like judgments about me from people I don't even know.