NFL Domestic Violence Sparks Review of Union Policy

In the wake of a string of instances of alleged domestic violence, it’s clear the NFL has an inconsistent policy for when a player may or may not be disqualified. One player may be suspended for a season, another for several months, another may be suspended for two games, and another may not be suspended at all.

By contrast, players that have been caught for drinking and driving, or possession of drugs like marijuana, have received specific and occasionally stiffer penalties.

The NFL’s inconsistent response to domestic violence issues hasn’t been very popular among the general public, and understandably so: if a player is suspended for one year due to a legal issue with controlled substances, but a player who is facing domestic violence charges is only suspended for two games, it communicates that domestic violence is inherently less awful than drug abuse offenses.

The NFL and Commissioner Roger Goddell seeks to change the league’s policy on suspension. However, doing so may be problematic. As it stands, the league wields the unilateral power over punishment and appeals.

The biggest hurdle may negotiations with the players unions. For example, policy decisions generally cannot just be made on a whim. The NFL and player’s union has been negotiating for years concerning the leagues drug policies; there is a general concern that similar negotiations may be conducted concerning a new domestic violence policy. This would mean it could be years before an actual policy is in effect.

Which raises one of the biggest questions regarding these unions: what’s the point? When unions were created, they served a purpose of protecting the rights of factory workers and other laborers who may not have had a voice on their own, but found strength in numbers.

These days, and specifically with respect to individuals who are typically making at least six figures, with the prominence of consumer protection and worker’s rights laws, it’s odd to imagine how collective bargaining and unionization protects their rights, as opposed to simply acting as an unnecessary step in an already complicated process.