请问OG-8中一句话的解释

tropicalfish

盼NNs给莱鸟的指导! 先谢谢了!

The strategic reasoning was based, first, on the concern that politicians and administrators might play off unionized against nonunionized workers.

我理解的意思是politicians and administratiors 可能用非工会工人反对工会工人, 可是又觉的不太对. 那play off ... against 到底如何理解呢?