Atlanta, GA · Affiliated AFL-CIO

ABOUT THE UNION

For the players, by the players — fighting for the rights, health, and futures of everyone who ever suited up on the arena floor.

Who We Are

The Arena Football League Players Union (AFLPU) is a collective of players, former players, and agents who work together to make sure every member gets the most out of their career. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, we are a labor organization affiliated with the AFL-CIO — the largest federation of unions in the United States. We are dedicated to our members both on and off the field.

Our Mission

We the members of the Arena Football League Players Union, in order to preserve and enhance the democratic process for and by our members, honor those who laid the foundation of professional football through respect for their courage, sacrifice, and leadership, protect the strength of our membership, and achieve the goals we have yet to accomplish.

What We Do

We negotiate and enforce the Collective Bargaining Agreement, provide representation and legal consultation, and advocate for the medical, financial, and professional wellbeing of every member. From contract protections to post-career medical support, we fight for the benefits our members have earned.

Our Record

A HISTORY OF WINS FOR PLAYERS

2012

Opening-Night Strike

On March 9, 2012 — opening night of the AFL season — the AFLPU went on strike seeking higher wages. The action led to a new multi-year Collective Bargaining Agreement reached that June, a defining moment for the union's bargaining power.

2014

AFL-CIO Affiliation

Following a unanimous vote by its Board of Player Representatives, the AFLPU affiliated with the AFL-CIO on May 13, 2014 — joining over 57 international unions representing more than 12 million working Americans across every industry.

2018

Landmark CBA

On March 16, 2018, the AFLPU and the AFL reached a four-year Collective Bargaining Agreement that nearly doubled player compensation and expanded health insurance benefits — secured at a time when the league's survival was uncertain.

The Game

THE STORY OF ARENA FOOTBALL

Arena football was conceived in 1981 by Jim Foster, an NFL promotions manager who sketched his idea for an indoor game on a 9×12 envelope while watching indoor soccer at Madison Square Garden. After a test game in Rockford, Illinois in 1986, the Arena Football League played its first official season in 1987 with four teams: the Pittsburgh Gladiators, Denver Dynamite, Washington Commandos, and Chicago Bruisers. The first game drew 12,117 fans, and ESPN aired the league from its earliest days.

Over 32 seasons the league grew to as many as 19 teams, producing dynasties like the Tampa Bay Storm and Arizona Rattlers — each five-time ArenaBowl champions. The game endured financial turbulence, including a cancelled 2009 season and a return in 2010, before the original league played its final season in 2019. The Albany Empire won the last ArenaBowl on August 11, 2019, before the league filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy that November.

Through every chapter, the players have remained the heart of the game. The AFLPU exists to make sure their interests, health, and futures are protected — long after the final whistle.

Leadership