Deadlock feared after Friday's intense Labour Deal negotiations -NHL Update
The National Hockey League (NHL) and Player’s Association (NHLPA) seem to have reached a deadlock again after Friday, August 31, 2012, negotiations on a new labour deal came to an end, which at first had been hopeful to give both time to come out with something
solid for upcoming negotiations.
How this came about to be is reportedly the reluctant attitude of the labour union to further budge on player compensation issues, which the league thought that they had made a fair offer on. Players were unwilling to move aside from their stance and the
league did not show any leniency on the matter as well.
The league was also expecting a counterproposal from the union as well but it did not turn out that way at all despite having made a second offer and meeting with executive director Donald Fehr a number of times.
"What I thought was starting as a promising week after we made our substantial counterproposal on Tuesday ends, I guess you can say, in disappointment," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. "We did not get a proposal from the Union; call it more of a response
and the response basically was, as it relates to the economic issues, 'We're not going to reset. Anything we're prepared to do only comes out of future revenues and that’s our position.' So there was no counterproposal or new proposal.”
September 15th is the final date for the current collective bargaining agreement to come to an end officially and not having a deal in place by then could seriously result in the league going through another lockout in less than a decade.
According to commissioner Bettman, the league is looking for a deal that would last longer instead of the same five year deal that the players want. It would prove to be more beneficial for both sides in the end, but Donald Fehr and the players representing
their teams are not willing to dip down to the lower depths instead of getting what they demand.
A reduced share in team revenues is not acceptable by players, but the league is also unwilling to budge. Updates should be expected in the upcoming days.
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