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This is Defector, a new sports blog and media company. We made this place together, we own it together, we run it together. Without access, without favor, without discretion, and without interference.

Defector

Jaya Saxena

Arts And Culture

Fair Pay Feels Good In A Place Like This

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<div>Rena Behar is a Brooklyn-based writer and editor specializing in responsible travel and various international oddities.</div>
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Rena Behar

An illustration of a skier going down the mountain while holding picket signs

Capital

The Outdoor Industry Needs Workers, And Workers Need Unions

<div>Nate Jackson is a former NFL tight end and author of <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/slow-getting-up-a-story-of-nfl-survival-from-the-bottom-of-the-pile-nate-jackson/6430451?gclid=Cj0KCQjwpc-oBhCGARIsAH6ote9JzWMngZDpSjF2eoL1_JlyPm2QhDfkNgOzqvaB4n9ic0qqUNQ4iCwaAsasEALw_wcB"><em>Slow Getting Up</em></a>. He lives in Denver.</div>
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Nate Jackson

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - FEBRUARY 05: NFLPA Executive Director Lloyd Howell discusses the state of the union and its direction for the upcoming year before fielding questions from the media on February 05, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

Who Does The NFLPA Represent?

Patrick Redford

Striking Touchstone route setters demonstrate in front of a California climbing gym.

Climbing

There’s No Climbing Without Route Setters, And They’re On Strike

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 14: Novak Djokovic of Serbia waits for the trophy presentation after his defeat by Carlos Alcaraz of Spain in the final of the men's singles, during day fourteen of The Championships Wimbledon 2024 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 14, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Frey/TPN/Getty Images)

Tennis

Novak Djokovic’s Loose Players Union Files Huge Lawsuit Against Tennis Power Structure

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JANUARY 15: Bobby Portis #9 of the Milwaukee Bucks walks backcourt during a game against the Orlando Magic at Fiserv Forum on January 15, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

Bobby Portis’s Big Suspension Is Ruinous Bullshit

The Logic Of Private Equity Explains The Park City Ski Patrol Strike

Alex Sujong Laughlin

a group of Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders practice outside

Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: It’s Time To Unionize

<p>Hamilton Nolan is a journalist based in New York City. Subscribe to his work at <a href="https://www.hamiltonnolan.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.hamiltonnolan.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1687350200913000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0naFbUVOe-5ZgtPDtIM3gz">HamiltonNolan.com</a>.</p>


Hamilton Nolan

UAW members attend a rally in support of the labor union strike at the UAW Local 551 hall on Chicago’s South Side. UAW president Shawn Fain joined members in solidarity with the ongoing strike on October 7, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois.

Book Excerpts That Don't Suck

Unions Can Fix What’s Broken

Maitreyi Anantharaman

A view of the first period of the PWHL game between Minnesota and Boston at Tsongas Center on January 03, 2024 in Lowell, Massachusetts.

Women's Hockey

The First CBA In Women’s Hockey Is A Picture Of The Future, And A Story Of The Past

NEW YORK - MARCH 29: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver speaks to the media after the Board of Governors meetings on March 29, 2023 at the St. Regis Hotel in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by Jennifer Pottheiser/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Players Are Making The Biggest Concession In The New NBA CBA

Laura Wagner

Starbucks workers hold a rally on October 05, 2022 in New York City. Starbucks Workers United were joined in solidarity by various unions as they held a rally outside of a Staten Island store, slated to close for renovations later this month. They are calling for the right to negotiate employment terms and want an end to the union busting campaign that is being used against workers throughout the country.

Starbucks VP Sends Pissy Letter To NFLPA Head Over Support For Workers

Tom Ley

The MLBPA Wants To Unionize Minor League Baseball

Union organizer Christian Smalls (R) celebrates following the April 1, 2022, vote for the unionization of the Amazon Staten Island warehouse in New York. - Amazon workers in New York voted Friday to establish the first US union at the e-commerce giant, a milestone for a company that has steadfastly opposed organized labor in its massive workforce. Employees at the Staten Island JFK8 warehouse voted 2,654 to 2,131 in support of the unionizing drive, according to a tally of ballots from the National Labor Relations Board. (Photo by Andrea RENAULT / AFP)

Heartwarming: Amazon Eats Shit

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 19: Los Angeles Dodgers fans cheer during Game 3 of the National League Championship Series against the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium on October 19, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.

What Would An Effective Sports Fan Union Actually Look Like?

Media Meltdowns

Wirecutter Union Files Labor Grievance After “Vindictive” New York Times Withheld Holiday Pay

<p>Staff Writer</p>
<p>Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19</p>


Chris Thompson

Let’s Remember Some Locked-Out MLB Players, Day 1

Amos Barshad

These Musicians Are Angry, Organized, And Coming For Spotify

WGA East Council Slate Edits Platform After Everyone Gets Mad At Them

Novak Djokovic’s Breakaway Tennis Players Association Is Taking Shape

Two groups of men push on opposite sides of a large ball, on top of which sits a man who is losing his balance in a still from the silent film, 'Going Great'. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Here Is A List Of Weenies Who Work At The New York Times

The Reckoning At The Appeal Was A Long Time Coming

<p>Columnist. Author of many <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Drew-Magary/e/B001JS8R52/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1">fine works of literature</a>, including <em>Point B</em>. Handsomest man in the world.</p>


Drew Magary

WASHINGTON - MARCH 4: DeMaurice Smith (R), NFLPA executive director, arrives with NFL Players Association Spokesman George Atallah (L) and Kansas City Chiefs player Brian Waters (C) for an extra day of negotiations at the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service building March 4, 2011 in Washington, DC. Representatives from the National Football League (NFL) and National Football League Players' Association (NFLPA) continue to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement between players and owners during a 24 hour extension in negotiations. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images)

Interviews

Let’s Talk About The State Of Football, With The NFLPA’s George Atallah

How A “Deeply Progressive” Coffee Chain Is Trying To Crush Its Workers’ Union


<p>Diana Moskovitz is Defector&#8217;s investigations editor. You can contact her at diana@defector.com or dfmoskovitz@protonmail.com. She&#8217;s also on Signal @dmoskovitz.99</p>


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