NFL, NFLPA extend labour negotiations for 7 more days
First the National Football League (NFL) and the Players Association (NFLPA) agreed to a 24-hour extension, now they have agreed to work with the current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) for another seven days. The two sides will resume negotiations
after the weekend on Monday.
During the coming week of negotiations, the NFL and the NFLPA are expected to continue their media blackout at the request of federal mediator, George Cohen.
It has been reported that the players union threatened to begin decertification on Friday, after the first 24-hour extension period, unless there was a further 10-day extension for the current labour deal. The union cannot afford to push negotiations to
the last minute and fail because then it will not have the power to decertify until six months later.
The NFL didn’t agree to a 10-day extension, but even seven more days of negotiations is a significant gesture, and shows that the two sides want to reach an agreement outside of court rooms. “This is going to get resolved through negotiations, not through
litigations,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said. “So, talking is better than litigating.”
NFL lead negotiator Jeff Pash said that both sides would have to make compromises for a new deal and acknowledged the fundamental issues that separated the two sides. He said, “We've got significant differences, but we are committed to collective bargaining.”
NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith admitted that there were still issues of trust and confidence, which were hampering the pace and progress of negotiations. However, he provided no details whatsoever about concessions either side had made to keep
the negotiations going.
There are two fundamental issues over which the NFL and the Players Associations are divided. There is the proposal for an 18-game season which the owners are strongly backing, but the players have scoffed at the idea; and then of course there is revenue
sharing.
Currently, NFL owners and players split money almost 50-50. Revenue has been split along those lines for at least a decade now, but since the last iteration of the collective bargaining agreement was signed in 2006, the arrangement has left NFL owners very
unhappy.
NFL owners have been asking for another billion dollars in expense credit which players say is unjustifiable. The union asked the league to open up its financials books and show why the current agreement won’t work before they even consider taking a billion
dollar pay cut. Owners however, have refused to let the union analyse its finances.
One of the possible concessions that the NFL could make is opening up its financial records to player representatives. On the other hand, if the players agree to an 18-game schedule, the overall revenue pie will increase for both players and owners.
In that case the owners might not need an expense credit, or they will at least settle for a lot less than a billion dollars. That will in turn mean that even if players take a smaller percentage, they will be compensated more because of the overall increase
in revenue.
That would work out nicely, except the players are unanimously opposed to an 18-game schedule. It is argued that an 18-game season would result in shorter careers and greater injuries. Even with increase in roster size, more bye weeks and lighter off season
schedules, the players still don’t feel comfortable about an 18-game regular season.
If the owners sweeten the deal enough, it could prove to be a way out of the deadlock. The rules regarding free agency and post-career benefits will all have to be worked out again considering the expansion, but getting an agreement on an 18-game season
should not be impossible.
Both sides need to do a bit of soul searching before Monday, and come up with what they are willing to sacrifice for the 2011 season to go ahead.
The players already know that they are in a much stronger bargaining possession since a district judge stripped the NFL of its $4 billion lockout insurance earlier this week. The owners know that the threat of a lockout doesn’t mean what it did a few weeks
ago, so a deal really is the best thing for both sides at this point.
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