LABOR UNION

files complaint against Jerry Jones.

A labor union that represents workers in Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana has filed a charge alleging that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has violated the National Labor Relations Act with his threats to discipline players if they protest during the national anthem.

Local 100 of the United Labor Unions filed the complaint Tuesday with the Fort Worth, Texas, office of the National Labor Relations Board. It asks the NLRB to “investigate preemptively in order to prevent illegal firings of players.”

Wade Rathke, chief organizer of Local 100, accuses Jones of violating the act, which prohibits employers from intimidating or threatening workers for their “concerted activity.”

Rathke said the NFL has already established that there is no condition of work that requires players to stand during the anthem. He said players have the right to protest and act concertedly at their workplace — the playing field. Jones is violating the act by attempting to prevent them from doing so, he said.

The board in Fort Worth will assign a field agent to investigate the charge. The first step will be to contact the NFL players association and the team.

Messages left with the Cowboys and the NFL were not immediately returned.

The NFL game operations manual says players “should” stand for the national anthem. Changing the “should” to “must” is an option the owners and league could pursue during their meetings next week, said NFL spokesman Joe Lockhart.