Marines allowed to continue UFC sponsorship
The Culinary Workers Union Local 226 has for years failed in its attempts to unionize the Station group of hotel-casinos…
The Culinary Workers Union Local 226 has for years failed in its attempts to unionize the Station group of hotel-casinos in Las Vegas. Station Casinos is owned by Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, who are also majority owners of the UFC.
Although the UFC has nothing to do with culinary workers, and indeed provides a vast amount of union work at arenas across the nation, it has become a target of the union. Anti-UFC steps the union has taken include:
Backed anti-MMA legislators in New York;
Called on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate UFC parent company Zuffa, which the union accuses of using monopolistic tactics to thwart competition from other MMA promoters;
Launched a website complaining that UFC President Dana White swears a lot;
Launched an online petition calling on FOX to back away from a deal to broadcast UFC events;
Demand Anheuser-Busch pull its Bud Light sponsorship of the UFC;
Supported wacky MMA legislation in California; and the latest,
Ahead of a House vote threatening the funding on sporting events by the US Military, set up a group purported to be Marines against the UFC.
Although the process of moving MMA into NY remains ongoing, in all other regards, the union’s wacky tactics have utterly failed.
FTC closed its investigation, Dana still swears pretty often, FOX has a seven year deal with the UFC, Bud Light is still a sponsor, Cali tabled the goofy legislation, and now the House has voted against prohibiting the Marines from sponsoring the UFC.
The House voted Wednesday night to continue spending millions for the military to back sports to attract recruits for the all-volunteer force. On a vote of 216-202, the House rejected an amendment by Reps. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., and Betty McCollum, D-Minn., that would have trimmed $72.3 million for sports sponsorships from a $608 billion defense bill for fiscal 2013.
The measure had targeted the money the National Guard spends to sponsor Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR’s most popular driver, as well as IndyCar Series driver JR Hildebrand. It also would have cut money the Army spends on the National Hot Rod Association drag racing, funds the Marine Corps uses for the Ultimate Fighting Championship and money spent on bass fishing.
The House spent most of the day and night debating the far-reaching defense legislation that provides money for war, troops and weapons next year. Yet talk of Earnhardt’s No. 88, bass fishing and NASCAR dominated the discussion.
Republican Rep. Sue Myrick dismissed the amendment as micromanaging the military’s recruiting. Democratic Rep. Larry Kissell said the relationship between the military and NASCAR was critical.
Rep. Steven Palazzo, R-Miss., said there was “no reason Congress should be telling the Department of Defense where and how to spend money.” In fact, Congress repeatedly instructs the Pentagon on how to spend the money it appropriates.
Various sports leagues weighed in this week on the military sponsorships, sending a letter to Republican and Democratic leaders urging them to oppose the amendment.
“Sports marketing has long been an important element in the U.S. Armed Forces’ efforts to reach young adults and active duty personnel regarding the military’s missions and objectives that serve our country,” said the letter to House Republican and Democratic leaders from NASCAR, IZOD IndyCar series, Major League Baseball, the National Football League and the National Basketball Association.
“The benefits from these types of sponsorships offset the minimal costs to taxpayers,” the letter said.