Boxers Want The Union Label

Fighters may soon have the chance to become card-carrying Teamsters.

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters said Monday it has begun the process of affiliating the Joint Association of Boxers as a professional fighters' union.

"Every other sport is organized, now the boxers will be organized," said James P. Hoffa, Teamsters general president. "Boxers need health insurance. Boxers need pensions. Boxers need to get a fair share of the proceeds of their labor."

The new union was founded by former fighter Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, who lobbied the Teamsters to help organize the sport.

An organization headed by former fighter Gerry Cooney called F.I.S.T. - the Fighters' Initiative for Support and Training - announced last month it was also a professional union within Local 153, Office of Professional Employees International Union.

Both groups say they want to provide boxers with benefits such as pensions and insurance that they currently do not have.

Muhammad said his union wants to negotiate an industry-wide collective bargaining agreement with boxing promoters "that will give boxers the dignity, security and protection they need and deserve."

While many other sports have been organized, no one has been able to penetrate boxing, where fighters are independent contractors and there are many different promoters operating under different rules in different states.

At a news conference to announce the new union, Muhammad read from a letter from Muhammad Ali supporting the cause.