NFL and NFLPA continue labour negotiations for third straight day
When there are a billion dollars at stake, you do what you can to keep it. That is essentially what the labour dispute between the National Football League (NFL) and the Players Association (NFLPA) is all about, and with that in mind it makes sense that
the two sides aren’t conceding even an inch in the negotiations.
It wouldn’t make sense though if the two sides let $9 billion slip through their fingers for just $1 billion. Nine billion is the estimated revenue the NFL generates each year. NFL owners have threatened a lockout of the 2011 football season unless the two
sides reach a new labour deal before the expiration of the current deal in March.
To that end the NFL and the Players Association held an eight-hour long meeting on Sunday. The two sides agreed to mediation and have been holding meetings for three straight days. The meetings were held at the offices of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation
Services (FMCS) in Washington. Almost a constant stream of league and union officials moved in and out of the building until almost 6 p.m.
The meetings were held under the auspices of George Cohen, who has asked both sides to keep mum on the subjects of the negotiations and their progress. NFL council Robert Batterman declined to comment after the meetings. He said, “I can't say anything other
than the fact that we are meeting”. He did however say that in his opinion Cohen was an excellent mediator.
While those present viewed the Cohen imposed media blackout as a circle of trust, there was an unmistakable air of progress and optimism, and it seems that the move is helping negotiations. Previously the two sides had been engaged in concentrated public
relations campaigns which served only one purpose; making the other side look like the bad guy.
The players union appealed to government officials and lawmakers emphasising the financial impact of a lockout. The union said that each city that hosts an NFL franchise stands to lose anywhere between $130 million to $200 million if there is no football
in 2011. A significant portion of those amounts are just player salaries but the union wanted to bring to the front the impact of a cancelled season on small businesses associated with football. The alarm bells also started ringing for the union when it said
that thousands of jobs could be lost if NFL owners locked out the players.
The league launched a ‘let us play’ campaign which asked fans to sign a petition directed towards the owners. The union also accused the owners of trying to cut off access to health care for the players. The NFL for its part called out the players union
every step of the way. It challenged the union’s figures on the economic impact of a lockout, stopping just short of calling them liars. The league also explained that players would continue to have access to health care with or without football in the 2011
season but would only have to pay the premiums themselves.
In the union’s defence, it was NFL commissioner Roger Goodell who first tried to scare players by threatening to end health coverage. The bottom line is that it’s better if both sides just keep quiet about the negotiations and focus on getting a deal done.
The NFL believes that signing the 2006 Collective Bargaining Agreement was a mistake. The owners say that the NFL cannot continue to prosper if they do not undo the changes to revenue sharing that came about in 2006. They want a billion dollars more from
the pie and the union isn’t willing to let that happen unless the NFL proves that it cannot survive under current conditions and that it’s not just being greedy. The NFL however, refuses to open up its financial books.
So the two sides continue to negotiate until one gives way.
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