WASHINGTON -- The first executive director of the U.S. Football League players union said Wednesday he will try to bring some consistency to benefits among the 18 teams when the league and players begin contract talks.
Doug Allen, a former NFL player at Buffalo, was elected Tuesday as executive director of the USFL Players Association at a meeting of the board of players in Chicago.
Allen said he is finishing up some business in his previous post as assistant to the director of the NFL Players Associaton, but will devote full time to his USFLPA job.
Allen said the players board wants to 'get things underway quickly. They feel they have gone enough time without benefits and protections they need. The league has hada chance to get started and it's time to deal with players' concerns.'
He said the league's 18 teams offer their players a 'hodgepodge of benefits and rights. We would like some level of consistency throughout the league. So if a player is traded or shifts teams, he won't lose some basic benefits.'
Allen said his experience in the NFL 'will be invaluable when we sit down at the bargaining table.
'The USFL management has Paul Martha (of the Pittsburgh Maulers) and Vince Lombardi Jr. (of the Michigan Panthers) on their negotiating team. They were both key figures in the talks with the NFL and NFLPA. I have had a lot of experience with them at the bargaining table and I think that should help when we start talking,' he said.
At the Chicago meeting, the players adopted a constitution and set bargaining priorites, which Allen said would be 'reduced to some sort of proposal.'
Allen said there is much 'interest and enthusiasm' in the new union among the players.
'There's a clear indication that there's a great deal of player support for the union. At the player reps meeting, every team was represented,' he said.
The new union will be based in Washington, but in separate offices from the NFLPA.
The USFLPA is the fourth union under the Federation of Professional Athletes, which includes the NFLPA, the North American Soccer League Players Association and the Major Indoor Soccer League Players Association.
