By Cole Lauterbach/Illinois Radio Network
SPRINGFIELD – A group of state Senate bills could affect next season’s Chicago Bears roster.
One of the many parts of the state Senate’s budget compromise awaiting a floor vote is a bill that would cut off employer-paid workers’ compensation payouts for permanently injured athletes at 35 instead of 67 as it is now.
The bill has the support of the McCaskey family, owners of the Chicago Bears.
The Bears released a statement through Chicago sports talk station “670 The Score” over the weekend saying the team continues to support “changes to the system that protect athletes’ rights under the workers’ compensation system while acknowledging athletes are not competing professionally until age 67.”
The issue from the team’s perspective is that the relatively short shelf life of athletes’ careers is baked into their high wages. When a player suffers a career-ending injury, that player is allowed to collect workers’ compensation at the maximum rate of $55,900 annually for decades longer than his career otherwise would have lasted.
The bill has also been backed with a letter of support from the Blackhawks, Bulls, Cubs and White Sox.
But NFL Players Association President DeMaurice Smith told the station Friday that he would instruct his free agent players not to sign with the Bears should the bill pass.
Michael LeRoy, a professor at the University of Illinois’ School of Labor and Employment Relations, said there is a lot at stake for the NFLPA.
“The NFLPA is treating this as a precedent-setting law that not only would be harmful to Chicago athletes but athletes around the nation,” he said.
He added that the Bears likely pay a fortune in workers’ comp claims, but he found changes to help them with their costs in a state budget bill odd.
“(Workers’ comp) costs are rising every year and they are a competitive drag on the economy. There’s no question about that,” he said. “The question is, ‘is it appropriate to single out athletes?'”
On the other hand, LeRoy said the high costs of athletes’ workers’ compensation payouts contribute to high workers’ comp premium payments statewide, meaning all businesses are affected.
“Other employers who are forced to participate are in effect subsidizing these highly paid athletes and these wealthy team owners,” he said.
LeRoy said the bill would make Illinois the only state to have such a provision.
Separate aspects of the workers’ compensation bill have been criticized by multiple business groups for falling short of the types of changes needed to bring Illinois’ laws in line with those of neighboring states.
