NFLPA warns players to prepare for Lockout
The National Football League Players Association appears to have lost faith in the negotiations between the League and the Union. The collective bargaining agreement is set to expire in March and the two sides are nowhere near
an agreement.
In the light of a possible lockout, the NFLPA has told NFL players to prepare for the worst. The union has sent letters to all players advising them to save their game cheques for the remaining season. “It is important that you
protect yourself and your family,” the letter, signed NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith said. The letter said that the players should work towards securing their future in case of a lack of income. The letter also said that the Players Association’s
internal deadline to prepare for the CBA also expired.
The League says that the letter states that the Players Association is no longer interested in dialogue or working out an agreement for the 2011 season. “We hope this does not mean the union has abandoned negotiating in favour
of decertifying and litigating,” League Spokesman Greg Aiello said. He said that the league was open to negotiations and but warned that to reach an agreement both sides need to show a sustained effort and commitment. “One side can't do it alone.” Aiello said
that the letter was disappointing and inexplicable, particularly for the fans.
George Atallah said that the memo circulated to players was an internal matter and did not mean that the Union had decided to abandon negotiations. He said that the NFL knew full well that the Players Association was in constant
contact with the league and to spin the letter to suggest the end of NFLPA’s negotiations was ‘dumb.’ Take note Aiello.
In March the owners could execute a lockout. The player could in return decertify as a union and go to litigation. The union has collected approvals from the players and have prepared for that eventuality. The league has threatened
that the players would have to pay for their own health care in case of a lockout. The letter said that players should use their last cheques to make sure they can continue to pay premiums in case of a lockout. Their coverage would remain unchanged under the
COBRA act.
However the Players Association plans on taking legal action in case health coverage is cancelled. The collective bargaining agreement stipulates that players continue to receive benefits until they are released or sever their
employment. The players are enraged. “You're going to cancel somebody's health insurance and maybe they've got a baby that's due in the offseason?” Patriots’ Matt Light said. “Yeah, it gets personal.”
Matt said that he had been talking to teammates and advising them to change their financial situation. He said that no one could be sure what would happen but the players have to prepare if they are going to spend a year without
pay.
The league and the union are locked in a standoff. The two sides are posturing and waiting for one side to blink. If neither side does, the NFL could be thrown into a lockout. The league wants a larger chunk of revenue. The current
agreement pays almost 60% of designated revenue to players while the owners keep the rest. The owners have collected debt over the years with construction of new stadiums and overhauls. They say that they cannot continue to profit under the CBA. The Players
Association disagrees and wants more pay, roster spots and health benefits to compensate for the league’s plans to move to an 18 games season. There is a lot of money involved and urgency on the Union’s part to get things back on track. The owners on the other
hand have entered into multibillion dollar deals with TV networks which would hold even in the case of a lockout.
There is greater pressure on the Union to buckle to the League’s demand. In response the Union is actively pursuing a public relations campaign to get the league to agree to their terms or in the very least come to a compromise
that works for both sides.
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