Modern Day Unions Within North America - by Moses (a.k.a Stacey Marc Goldman)

1. National Hockey League Players Association - was formed in 1955 est. by Ted Lindsey and Doug Harvey (amongst others), creating a pension fund for Hockey players. Ted Lindsey was traded by the Detroit Red Wings to the Chicago Black Hawks for his role in establishing the N.H.L.P.A. In 1985 est. Alan Eagleson was found to be involved in embezzling funds from Contracts he signed for players, and shortly thereafter N.H.L player salaries skyrocketed. The average annual salary of an N.H.L player was $15,000/year in 1955, $50,000/year in 1977, and is roughly $1.7 million dollars per annum today.

2. In 1970 Marvin Miller was named the first leader of the MLBPA. During the 1971 season, Curt Flood sat out the year and challenged the Reserve Clause (essentially the ownership that a Team had, pertaining to their players). Andy Messersmith did the same during the 1975 campaign, and an arbitrator named by the Owners granted Messersmith Free-Agency. This was the first occurance of Free-Agency in Professional Sports. In 1971 the average salary within MLB was roughly $30,000/year, it was roughly $150,000/year in 1979, and is now at roughly $3.5 Million/annum.

3. The Negro League Baseball Players Association was formed in 2002 est. and is instrumental in creating a market for Negro League Team Merchandising. This is a market that many speculate to be one of the most financially promising ventures in sports fashions within the fashion world.

4. The United Autoworkers Union expanded into Canada in 1983 and the Canadian Autoworkers Union in that year was headed by Bob White. The U.A.W and C.A.W have downsized positions within Canada and the U.S.A significantly over the past sixteen years and many jobs have moved to Mexico since the advent of the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994. Many people in Canada would say that Buzz Hargrove missed the warning signs in 2008 when he took a hardline stance in negotiating with the U.S Auto Manufacturers. This led to the loss of roughly 6,000 jobs in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.

5. The Steelworkers Union was headed by Marvin Miller in 1967, and through a deadlock in negotiation with the Steel Plants, U.S President Lyndon Johnson stepped in and signed an agreement in good faith with Miller, saving 200,000 jobs.

6. National Football League Players Associationw was formed in 1977 and Gene Upshaw was named the first President. The NFLPA is heavily influential today in long term strategies treating brain injuries within the sport of U.S Football. These long-term treatments of players that have suffered concussions is starting to be implemented by the NHLPA.

In 1994, U.S President Bill Clinton, Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien, and Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo signed the North American Free Trade Agreement leading to many manufacturing jobs in Mexico. The agreement also provided technology positions within the States and Canada, and Silicone Valley, North and South of the border has flourished since. In 2006 most of North America was hit with an economic recession that we're still feeling today. As U.S and Canadian unemployment rate is at roughly 9.5% today, there will surely be changes in both the Private and Public Sectors. To strive for 6% unemployment rates in Canada, Mexico, and the U.S.A would probably lead to jobs plentifold. It is of this writers' opinion to lower high income positions (any position paying $3 Million +) by 20% and pro-create positions by the difference. In other words; $5 Million=$4 Million and presto, there is now a team of twenty people working $50,000/year postions (through delegation). I would have to say that unionized sectors within the Private Sector would create this parity.