When you understand anything about football and how the NFL works, the NFLPA's push against OTAs this season, which three teams have already opted out of entirely, is kinda telling in regard to whom the union is actually representing.
OTAs are optional; but, having organized OPAs dramatically increase in importance among younger players and players who haven't made a lot of money yet.
Teams have up to 90 man rosters during the offseason and they need to slash that to 53 by the start of the season.
Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Aaron Donald, the household names in the league aren't gonna have much trouble turning down $500 grand by not attending the OTAs and they're not gonna get cut by their teams. In some cases, even if they were cut, they'd get paid more for not playing than a lot of the young guys if the manage to make the roster.
If you're a seventh round draft pick or an undrafted free agent those offseason workouts might be the closest that you ever get to an NFL field and it's your first if not only chance to seriously compete for a roster spot.
To be abundantly clear, concern about Covid is a concern; but, union reps have expressed interest in getting rid of OTAs permanently. That would forever make it infinitely more difficult for guys who haven't been established yet or weren't highly regarded coming out of college to compete for a spot. Remember, Adam Thielen went undrafted and made it into the NFL as a walk-on. If he graduated last year or, the way things are going, this year, he'd probably be working at a dentist office right now.
There's nothing about unions that necessarily means that they're standing up for the little guy.