Ed Garvey
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Edward R. Garvey (born in Burlington, Wisconsin) is a progressive activist, lawyer, and politician.
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[edit] Biography
Garvey graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and spent two years in the U.S. Army; he then returned to the University of Wisconsin Law School and earned a law degree. 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. 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. The NFLPA became recognized by the owners as a full-fledged National Labor Relations Board union, and damages totalling $13.65 million were awarded to past and present players for antitrust violations against them.
After leaving the NFLPA, Garvey served as deputy attorney general in Wisconsin under Bronson La Follette, specializing in environmental issues.
[edit] Unsuccessful politician
Popular in reform circles, Garvey never received the electoral success he often sought. In 1986, Garvey unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. Senate from Wisconsin as a Democrat, losing by a small margin to Republican Bob Kasten. In a 1998 bid that was intended to provide support for Russ Feingold's successfull bid for U.S. Sentate, Garvey lost the Wisconsin governor's race to long-time incumbent Tommy G. Thompson. Currently, Garvey is active in his private practice in Madison, Wisconsin. He is editor and publisher of the left-wing political website FightingBob.com, focusing on Wisconsin and national issues. He regularly appears on the local NPR national public radio affiliate WHAD to provide a progressive viewpoint on a variety of topics.
[edit] Electoral history
- 1998 Race for Governor
- Tommy Thompson (R) (inc.), 60%
- Ed Garvey (D), 39%
- 1986 Race for U.S. Senate
- Bob Kasten (R) (inc.), 52%
- Ed Garvey (D), 48%
- 1986 Race for U.S. Senate - Democratic Primary
- Ed Garvey (D)
- Matt Flynn (D)
[edit] References
- Garvey McNeil & McGillivray, S.C. Biography. Retrieved on August 28, 2006.
- FightingBob.com, Garvey's blog.
- FightingBobFest.org, home of an annual progressive festival conceived by Garvey.
