Ed Garvey

This article is about the Wisconsin labor lawyer and politician. For the Appalachian hiker and conservationist, see Edward B. Garvey.
Ed Garvey
Personal details
Born (1940-04-18) April 18, 1940
Burlington, Wisconsin, U.S.
Political party Democratic
Alma mater University of Wisconsin,
Madison

Edward R. "Ed" Garvey (born in Burlington, Wisconsin) is a lawyer, politician and activist.

Background

Garvey graduated from the University of Wisconsin (now the University of Wisconsin–Madison) and spent two years in the U.S. Army; he then returned to Madison and entered the University of Wisconsin Law School, where he earned a law degree.[1]

Law and union work

Soon after graduation, Garvey joined Lindquist and Vennum, a Minneapolis law firm. The firm worked for the National Football League's players' union, and in 1970 Garvey was assigned to counsel union president John Mackey regarding negotiations on a new four year contract with the league's owners. Garvey was later offered the position of executive director in the reorganized union, the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) in 1971.[2]

Garvey served as its executive director until 1983, through two strikes (in 1974 and 1982) and frequently invoking antitrust legislation in his many court battles with the league. Garvey directed the NFLPA though a series of court battles that led, in 1975, to the ruling in Mackey v. NFL that antitrust laws applied to the NFL's restrictions on player movement. In 1976, armed with leverage regarding player movement from team to team, Garvey and the union won major concessions from the owners. Garvey's negotiations with the league exchanged the players' threat of pursuing a system of unfettered free agency for an improved package of player benefits.[3]

The NFLPA became recognized by the owners as a full-fledged National Labor Relations Board union, and damages totaling $13.65 million were awarded to past and present players for antitrust violations against them.[4]

After leaving the NFLPA

After leaving the NFLPA, Garvey served as deputy attorney general in Wisconsin under Bronson La Follette, specializing in environmental issues. Garvey also became a prominent leader with Wisconsin labor groups, particularly the Paperworkers Union (now United Steelworkers) in contract disputes with International Paper.

Political career

Garvey is the editor and publisher of the political website FightingBob.com, focusing on Wisconsin and national issues from a center-left perspective. He regularly appears on the local NPR national public radio affiliate WHAD to provide a progressive viewpoint on a variety of topics. Garvey continues to be a defining voice in Wisconsin politics and is popular in reform circles.

In 1986, Garvey ran for the U.S. Senate from Wisconsin, losing to Republican incumbent Bob Kasten, losing by a small margin after a very bitter election.[5] In an unsuccessful bid for Wisconsin governor in 1998 against three-term incumbent Tommy G. Thompson, Garvey sought to highlight campaign finance reform and limited contributions to his campaign to a fixed amount per donor. Thompson won by a wide margin.

Currently, Garvey is active in his private law practice in Madison, Wisconsin.

Electoral history

1988 Democratic primary for US Senate Herb Kohl Tony Earl Ed Garvey Doug LaFollette

References

  1. ↑ Heidi Hollanddate=October 11, 1982. "Owners Fume and Fans Despair, but Lawyer Ed Garvey Won't Tell the NFL Players to Punt". People Magazine. Retrieved 26 September 2012.
  2. ↑ Heidi Hollanddate=October 11, 1982. "Owners Fume and Fans Despair, but Lawyer Ed Garvey Won't Tell the NFL Players to Punt". People Magazine. Retrieved 26 September 2012.
  3. ↑ Robert H. Boyle (February 1, 1982). "This is the controversial proposal of Ed Garvey and the NFL players' union as contract talks approach". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 26 September 2012.
  4. ↑ John Clayton (March 28, 2010). "Packers' Murphy comes full circle: Once considered a radical, team president is now trying to settle NFL's labor problems". http://sports.espn.go.com. Retrieved 26 September 2012. External link in |publisher= (help)
  5. ↑ Solovy, Stephen (March 7, 1989). "Wisconsin Voters". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 25, 2012.

Sources

Party political offices
Preceded by
Charles Chvala		 Democratic nominee for Governor of Wisconsin
1998 		Succeeded by
Jim Doyle
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