Pro Wrestling Needs a Union

Check the Miz’s twitter page and you’ll see comments like “on my way to my second home, the airport,” signifying the nonstop world of professional wrestling. Turn on your television and you’ll see TMZ reporting another professional wrestler arrested. What is it this time? Steroids, weed, drunk driving?

Click on your favorite promotion’s website and you’ll see wrestlers going through the embarrassment of having to kiss promoter’s butt or having promoters break their contracts and screwing the wrestler out of a world title and more importantly their legacy. All of this controversy could be greatly reduced if there was a professional wrestling union.

A wrestling union would benefit so many wrestlers in so many ways, yet it may never happen because all the power lies in the promoter’s hands. There’s no way Vince McMahon is going to answer to anyone but the man in the mirror. And why should he? It’s simple, for the benefit of his employees.

The happier they are, the better they’ll perform. Sadly, the only way that wrestling will get a union is if the top stars demand one. But why would they? When you’re at the top you don’t need it.

When asked by Larry King, John Cena said wrestlers didn’t need a union. When asked about that statement, Bret Hart quickly responded “The truth is only an idiot would say wrestlers don’t need a union, because we do! But it is hard not to take that company position and be a company guy when you’re on the team.”

With a union, wrestlers will be able to get health benefits for putting their bodies on the line. Do you know how hard it is to get insurance when you tell the insurance agent you risk serious injury every time you go to work?

The promoters do pay for some things that happen in the ring, but what about getting sick or things that happen outside the ring? What about when you retire?

Look at Bobby Hennan, Konnan, and Steve Williams. All have been fighting for their lives with cancers and diseases. Other wrestlers put on shows just to help raise money to pay for their surgeries. Insert union here.

Earlier this year Rowdy Roddy Piper called for a union stating "The WWE have done some wonderful things for wrestlers. But we can't keep on dying. The wrestlers give their hearts—they give the best part of their lives. So as the success goes on, why aren't they being taken care of?” As he’s tired of seeing his friends die.

The schedules are too tough and the only break they see is someone’s arm or leg. Wrestlers typically are wrestling with some kind of injury. Some are understandable. Some are completely stupid. And for the most part, no one, including those on top, wants to ask for a break because they might lose their spot.

Look, a union isn’t this rare thing as hundreds of thousands of professions have them. Unions have helped employees of various professions big and small forever, creating a better life for all involved.

And everyone has one. Firemen have the International Association for Fire Fighters, postmen have the National Postal Mail Handlers Union, teachers have the American Federation of Teachers and that’s only a few. (Note, some unions don’t carry nationwide. I know teachers aren’t allowed to have a union in SC.)

And unions are not only for common folk jobs. Millionaire and billionaire owners also have to split power with unions also as there is the Players Union (NFL) and Screen Actors Guild (Acting) to name a few who protect the rights of everyone from the stars to the bench players.

In fact, the director of The Wrestler, Darren Aronofsky, “I think the problem starts with the fact that they’re not organized and they’re not unionized. That’s the main problem. I mean, there’s really no reason why these guys are not in SAG. They’re as much screen actors as stuntmen. If not more. They’re in front of a camera performing and doing stunts, and they should have that protection.

"That’s the only thing that for me came out of it. Why doesn’t SAG help get these guys organized? They’re on TV performing. Or, if they’re not even on TV, the ring is a theater. So they’re not just screen actors, they’re theater actors. They’re performers. They should have insurance and they should have health insurance and they should be protected.”

How many lives would be saved if there was a union to step in when someone’s being overworked without a chance to nurse an injury? Kurt Angle was allegedly told to kick his pain killer addiction while on the road because he was an Olympic gold medalist and didn’t need a break. This would never have happened with a union in place.

For those troubled with addictive personalities, they may go ahead and drink too much or take too many pills anyways. Nothing Vince or Dixie Carter can do about it. But the union could step in and reduce the number of days spent on the road without a break, thus helping to reduce some of that stress.

It’s not a guarantee that a union would stop all the incidents and deaths, in fact, we all know it won’t stop it completely.  But it definitely will help. You can’t place all the blame on the promoters, but they can’t truly believe their not a part of the problem.

Equal blame could be placed on the top stars as if the Triple H’s, John Cena’s and Undertaker’s joined together they could easily get a union for the wrestlers. But they forget what it’s like to be at the bottom and without the millions of dollars to bail them out of any situation.

Wrestling desperately needs a union to create a better lifestyle for the guys who put their lives on the line every time they step into the ring. Will we ever see one, who knows?  But one thing is certain, if they don’t we will continue to see guys who are deemed brothers, fathers, husbands and, oh yeah, professional wrestlers pass away.

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