Tag Archives: football

Home, Labor Studies

Unions, Collective Bargaining and Soccer Players

By Jay Youngdahl

This June, the men’s World Cup will begin. Billions of people throughout the world will cheer their favorite team and players. Given the diverse nature of the Murphy Institute community, there will be cheerful disagreement as to which team is the best.

However, in a special treat for soccer fans associated with the Murphy Institute, the global union for soccer players, FIFPro (Fédération Internationale des Associations de Footballeurs Professionnel/International Federation of Professional Footballers) has put out a short inspiring video with some of the leading male and female soccer players in the world. The video, which begins with the incomparable Lionel Messi of Argentina, features talented players discussing the importance of unions and of collective bargaining at work. These famous athletes stress the importance of equal rights, respect, and justice for all workers, including footballers.

So, while many in the Murphy Institute community may disagree about which is their favorite team, this video features players we can all cheer for in this men’s World Cup and in the upcoming Women’s World Cup.

Jay Youngdahl is a Visiting Research Scholar at the Murphy Institute.

Home, Labor Studies, Urban Studies

The World Cup: Panem et Circenses et Transit (Killjoy Alert!)

Kafui Attoh is an Assistant Professor of Urban Studies at the Murphy Institute.

The World Cup is upon us! All praise be to FIFA! In less than a week, millions of people worldwide will tune into what promises to be the largest global bread and circus event of the year. Indeed, an estimated half a million fans will descend on Brazil itself — no doubt, to partake in the spectacle first hand. As is now common with these mega events, the World Cup boasts its own theme song — a predictably forgettable anthem by J-Lo and Pitbull called “We Are One (Ole Ola).” It will also have its own cuddly mascot — Fuleco, an anime-inspired “three-banded Armadillo.” Reportedly, Fuleco is modeled on an endangered species native to Brazil.

With all the makings of a Hollywood blockbuster, the World Cup is a big deal. For the host nation, the finances alone are absurd. Since “winning” the right to host the tournament seven years ago, Brazil has spent $11.3 billion on Cup related infrastructure projects. Many of these projects — despite the desperate need for hospitals and better transit — have been limited to new arenas and new stadiums. An additional $800 million has been spent on security alone as roughly 170,000 security personnel have been dispatched across the country to regulate crowds and secure arenas. “Ordem without Progresso,” as Brazilians might say.

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