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Your turn: Is it time for NASCAR drivers to form a union?
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In the fall of 1969 NASCAR drivers formed a union they called the Professional Drivers Association, or the PDA. It was gone however not even two months after NASCAR’s star drivers at the time such as Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough and Bobby Allison formed it.
“Big” Bill France founder of NASCAR and its head at the time squashed any hopes for the PDA’s survival when the drivers refused to compete at Talladega at speeds they felt were unsafe for the tires. France thumbed his nose at the PDA drivers and filled a field with 36 non-union drivers, most of who had never even been heard of.
It wasn’t the first time drivers tried to form a union. In 1961 Curtis Turner and the Teamsters tried. France banned Turner, for what he said was life but actually turned out to be four years, and the talk soon died.
Fast forward to the present. It’s an entirely new world. Today drivers are under multi-year, multi-million dollar contracts. On one side, smart drivers who manage their money, buy the right insurance policies and tow the line can look forward to a long and happy career. On the other side there are drivers who don’t make the millions of dollars, and don’t have the financial resources for support should something happen to them. Like driver Jerry Nadeau who suffered a career ending and life threatening head injury several years ago. With no contract and no way to make a living Nadeau now consults with race teams.
That’s are just one of the issues confronting those who compete in the sport.
There is some consensus that if drivers had a union they could work hand in hand with NASCAR on such issues as fair rules, pensions, and even ensuring fair drug testing.
So given today’s climate, would a drivers union work? Would it even be able to be formed? What issues could they address? Would a drivers union be good for the sport?
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