Petition to Unionize the WWE

In light of the recent injuries in the WWE, in light of the recent, seemingly drug-induced death of Sherri Martel, and in light of the recent double murder-suicide committed by Chris Benoit, ending his life and those of his wife Nancy and son Daniel, we, the undersigned, are begging those in a leadership position in the WWE locker room and their colleagues to put aside personal pettiness, grievance and ambition for the betterment of all, beginning a drive to unionize WWE "independent contractors".

We understand this might cause a concern regarding job stability, in light of earlier unionization attempts and the lack of protection wrestlers have now; however, should a united front be presented, WWE would have to listen - while one or two wrestlers might be dispensible, the entire locker room is not. Also, in light of the above-mentioned recent tragedies, this is a time WWE might be most open to such a 'good PR'/good news suggestion, causing positive change out of devastating loss. We also believe the protections provided by a union would lengthen the life expectancies and lower the injury rates to wrestlers dramatically. To wit:

We believe that better physical and mental healthcare measures, more vacation time, and more rigorous drug-testing (thus allowing those with problems to properly seek help) would arise from this drive, and would in turn alleviate pressure on wrestlers to be 'always on', 'larger than life', as well as create a more harmonious locker room, thus lowering dependence on painkillers and steroids and pressure to compete for the 'top spot', thus improving drastically the mental and physical health of all employees. The increased time off we anticipate this creating, and longterm planning for the same, would also lower the impact should a wrestler end up injured, and would create room for the WWE to hire more employees as others take their vacations - thus being good for the federation as well, and creating a win-win scenario.

We also believe WWE, as an industry leader, implementing a unionization system would make the WWE a more attractive place to work, and encourage other companies in the wrestling industry, to offer the same protections to their wrestlers. For those wrestlers, fans, and those in management seeking to turn this tragedy into a positive first step into a brighter future - the time is now.