Dear Friends,                                                            Stand with the players: Update

Thanks always to Sydney and Rhys my basketball whisperers

The standoff between the WNBPA and the WNBA continues. But there’s change, and, I have to say, not for the good. The negotiations have reached a point that exemplifies the power relations in all conflicts between labor and capital, showing the advantage that the system gives to the capitalists – and after all, why not, it’s their system after all, the capitalist mode of production.

First, the capitalists can out-last the workers. Compared to the workers they have virtually unlimited resources. They will never have to worry about having enough money to feed their families. Yes, the players in the W are in a very different situation than that of more traditional workers. But either a strike or a lockout will have real consequences for them, and the longer strike or lockout continues, the worse the consequences.

Second, the capitalists’ goal is accumulation of wealth. But this is more complicated than it might seem. Strike or lockout will reduce the capitalists’ revenue today, but today’s revenue is not their aim, they are not concerned with “the profit on any single transaction, but with the unceasing movement of profit-making.” (Marx) They are quite willing to suffer through, or even to provoke a strike, or to impose a lockout if that will contribute to the unceasing movement of profit-making in the long run.

Furthermore, they know that accumulation ultimately depends as much on power as on the ordinary functioning of the system. Repeatedly in the history of the capitalist mode of production capitalists have foregone immediate profit in order to fortify their power over workers.

The WNBA announced a deadline for successful negotiations, March 10. If agreement had not been reached by then, they will delay the opening of the season. Well here we are at March 15.  

The owners want a season, that’s where they get their money. But they also want to tame the players, to show them who’s boss. Docile workers will make up for loss on any single transaction, they are one of the most important constituents of the unceasing movement of profit-making. Can the bosses tame the players? I doubt it, just look at them (I’d put in photos but it would have to be so many).

The players want to play! That’s what they do. They want a better and fair CBA, but the prospect of a shortened or canceled season is catastrophic for them. The WNBA and the owners can stonewall, refuse to make concessions because they don’t play. Playing is only instrumental for them. So the League and the owners have the normal capitalist advantage, plus the exceptional motivation of the players.

Among the issues dividing the players and the league revenue-sharing is the most contentious. Revenue from ticket sales, merchandise, etc. flows directly to the team owners and the league. But why does anyone buy tickets? To see the players play. The idea that the owners and the league must share this revenue with the players is well established. The players in the NBA, the men’s basketball league, receive roughly 50% of revenue. Under the now expired CBA the players in the WNBA received 7% of revenue.

The WNBPA’s initial proposal was for 40% of revenue. As a concession, they have now reduced that to 26%. The first proposal by the league and the owners was 15%. That is still what they are offering. No concession. And they have only made the smallest concessions on other issues.

In the meantime, the WNBA, because of the players and only because of the players, is poised for growth, enormous growth, in popularity, in ticket sales, in viewership, etc. It is in the forefront of the great and wonderful worldwide flourishing of women’s sports. Is this really the time to be nickel and diming the players, showing them such contempt, treating them as serfs? Maybe it is. Maybe they’ve made a careful calculation – as Ford did balancing the cost of correcting the defect against the wrongful death suits from exploding Pintos – but I doubt it. So what the hell are they doing? Well, there’s no law saying that capitalists can’t be stupid.

Love and solidarity,

            Bobby

The Federal government no longer exists.