NBA agents want to decertify the players union: NBA Rumour
The NBA owners and the Players Association are scheduled to meet on Thursday to negotiate further on the collective bargaining agreement. NBA locked out its player over the labour dispute with the Players Union, who rejected the
new version of CBA. Although there have been plenty of meetings held so far, Thursday’s meeting is considered by many analysts as significant.
This comes in the wake of reports that a number of NBA’s influential agents have suggested decertifying the players union. If this happens, it create a semi-revolt situation on the negotiating table and especially for the union
executive director Billy Hunter.
Derek Fisher, who is the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) president, explained via telephone on Wednesday evening.
“I find the position of these agents questionable, at best, if they’re so concerned about the direction of the union, then why have they not contacted me at a minimum to share these concerns? In our opinion, it’s always been something
that, only when we truly believe that we cannot do our jobs as a players association, as a union, would we ever consider that.”
Fisher further said to dissolve the union is not a viable option at the moment and all the focus should be on the current table talks with the owners.
He added that it will be a “drastic move that leaves every player without pensions, without health care.”
Decertification of union will however also increase the players’ leverage and allow them to sue the league owners under the antitrust laws. However, many basketball and legal experts consider decertification as a very lengthy and
complicated procedure that will further slow the possibility of holding an NBA season any time sooner.
According to sources, Arn Tellem, along with Jeff Schwartz, Mark Bartelstein, Dan Fegan and Bill Duffy are the five main NBA agents, who are advocating decertification.
Recently, the National Football League (NFL) players also decertified their union and sued the owners under antitrust laws which brought the NFL owners to negotiating table. Later, the owners made a settlement with the players.
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