Mediation between NFL and players will resume on 16 May
After four days of negotiations before U.S. Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan, the National Football League (NFL) and the players were sent home for nearly a month, with Boylan setting the restart for talks for 16 May. Boylan’s busy schedule played a factor
and after what have been consistently called “tough negotiations,” the feeling was that some progress had been made.
"I think this was a valuable process, I don't think a single minute of it was wasted time, and I think the effort and the sincerity and the creativity that the chief magistrate judge brought to the process was exemplary and is going to be very helpful to
us down the road," said NFL general counsel Jeff Pash.
"We're going to be back here on May 16 to continue the mediation, and I think everybody thinks it was helpful," NFL Players Association outside counsel Jim Quinn said. "And that's really where we are."
A couple of key dates come before the restart of mediations on 16 May. A ruling is expected shortly from U.S. District Court Judge Susan Nelson on the players’ motion for an injunction, to lift the NFL lockout imposed upon them by the league.
The entire dilemma started when, after 16 days of labour talks, the league and NFL Players Association (NFLPA) were unable to come up with an agreement on a new collective bargaining deal. Following the dispersion of talks, the NFLPA decertified as a player
union, after which the league locked its players out in the first lockout since 1987.
The next day, ten players filed a federal antitrust lawsuit against the league titled Brady et al v. National Football League et al. The players named as plaintiffs include the New England Patriots’ two-time league Most Valuable Player (MVP) and two-time
Super Bowl MVP quarterback Tom Brady, the Indianapolis Colts’ four-time NFL MVP and Super Bowl XLI MVP quarterback Peyton Manning and New Orleans Saints Super Bowl XLIV MVP quarterback Drew Brees, among seven others.
On 12 May, U.S. District Court Judge David Doty will hold a hearing on what to do with over $4 billion in network’s rights fees.
“The network case is not a major factor, has never been a major factor, as far as our thinking goes,” said Pash.
There was at least one optimist that emerged from the courtroom on Wednesday, 20 April. After spending four days in these negotiations, Carl Eller, the representative for the Retired Players Association (RPA), said “I would certainly say we’re going to have
a 2011 season.”
The RPA is also being represented in the lawsuit against the league along with the Brady lawsuit, the name of which was changed to Brady & Eller et al v. National Football League et al. The RPA is seeking more benefits for its members who are unable to work
anymore due to medical conditions brought on from their days in the NFL.
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