Kushner is First Promoter to Meet with JAB
May 15, 2003
Las Vegas, May 15 — Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, founder of the Teamster affiliated Joint Association of Boxers, said today that the union will begin talks with CKP Productions and Cedric Kushner this week in Las Vegas.
According to Muhammad, “When Mr. Kushner heard of our desire to form a union that would set standards in our industry he was receptive and said he was willing to sit down and talk. We take it as a very positive sign that a promoter of Kushner’s caliber is prepared to recognize our union.”
According to JAB, the majority of CKP’s fighters have signed JAB authorization cards.
“The purpose of our meetings with Kushner and other promoters is to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement that would establish minimum standards for the sport of boxing and that, we believe, would help the boxing industry move to a new level of integrity. Our strategy is to sign up a majority of professional fighters, have promoters recognize our union, and negotiate a standard collective bargaining agreement.” said Muhammad.
Kushner Meets With Hoffa, Teamsters Regarding Jab
Boxing
promoter Cedric Kushner has met with James P. Hoffa, general president of
the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, several times this week in Las
Vegas to discuss the newly formed boxers' union, the Joint Association of
Boxers (JAB).
The Teamsters announced its association with JAB last week in Washington,
D.C., and Hoffa reaffirmed that affiliation during a news conference in
behalf of JAB Monday in Las Vegas.
"I think the concept and JAB are good for fighters as well as the sport of
boxing," said Kushner, chairman of the board of Cedric Kushner Promotions of
New York City.
"I had a very constructive meeting with Mr. Hoffa and the JAB leadership,"
said Kushner. "I'm prepared to continue the dialogue and in the most
positive spirt."
Muhammad says JAB's goals are to negotiate an industry-wide collective
bargaining agreement with boxing promoters and provide boxers with pensions
and insurance.
This
article originally appeared on eastsideboxing.com on May 15, 2003.
©2003-2007 Joint Association of Boxers
P.O. Box 2662
New York, NY 10108
Eddie Mustafa Muhammad
(202) 437-5755
info@boxersunion.org