NHL serves notice to Players Association to terminate and/or modify CBA –NHL Update
The National Hockey League (NHL) took the first step in working out what hopefully will be a new deal between the league and the NHLPA (Players Association) by sending them a notice to either terminate and/or modify the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA)
on Wednesday, May 16, 2012.
The CBA, which was signed after a lockout in 2005, is set to expire come September 15 later on this year, which could create a disastrous situation for the next season if a deal is not worked out before then.
In theory, the move was a formality on the end of the league as it is a rule to notify the other concerned party 120 days prior to the expiration, but if both stakeholders did not notify each other by the 15th of September, the CBA would be in
effect for another season automatically.
“CBA Article 3.1(a), according to the memo, had no notice been given by either party, the existing CBA would have remained in place for another year.”
NHLPA executive director, Donald Fehr, told media that he had received the notice and also notified players that they would be told when negotiation sessions would start. He also added that as many players take part in the bargaining sessions, the better
it would be to see what the demands are and how they would be implemented in the best and fairest way possible.
“There is no better way to send a message to the league that players are engaged in the process of bargaining for a fair new contract,” Fehr said in the memo to players.
It has been reported that the NHL owners are hoping to get a bigger cut of the league revenues and slash the 57 percent that players’ get, but they would have to do it in the best way possible in order to avoid another lockout, which is never beneficial
to any side.
"Obviously, the system we have made some important fundamental and dramatic improvements," NHL commissioner, Gary Bettman, said in March. "We have, as I said, great competitive balance but I'm not getting into the specifics."
Tags: