Player Benefits hold importance in week ending session between NHL, Players' Association
It was the third and final day of talks between the National Hockey League (NHL) and Players’ Association on a new labour deal between the two stakeholders, of which player benefits took most of the time on Thursday, July 26, 2012, at the offices of the
labour association in Toronto.
The current collective bargaining agreement is coming to an end on September 15, 2012, and both sides are meeting at least three times a week to discuss matters and eventually reach a deal by then.
A number of issues in related to player benefits like pensions, time on ice, training camp along with insurance altogether for the health of a player and any added benefits. It is reported that the Players’ Association was firm in their stance of upgrading
the players’ benefits with the most recent upgrade being back in the early 1990s.
For NHLPA special assistant to the executive director, Mathieu Schneider, such issues needed to be addressed immediately.
"Some of the issues haven't been addressed since '94 or the late '90s," Schneider said. "It's a process. There's an awful lot of stuff in that 600-page book and we're trying to get through all the issues."
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman was as usual, leading the league’s side when it came to the meeting and terms this meeting being crucial to making each other realise their demands.
"The Players Association made a couple of presentations, one on player pensions and the other on player health care and insurance," Bettman said. "Then, there was a pretty good discussion on playing conditions in a smaller group, having to do with things
like training camp and ice conditions."
Jeff Skinner of the Carolina Hurricanes was in attendance with the labour union along with B.J. Crombeen, Jason Spezza along with executive director Donald Fehr, DonZavello and Steve Fehr.
The North American major league was represented by Gary Bettman, along with Colin Campbell, Brendan Shanahan, and a number of team owners and general managers like Minnesota owner Craig Leipold, Boston owner Jeremy Jacobs and Toronto GM Brian Burke.
Both sides will be meeting for the rest of the week but have plans on relocated to the league’s offices in Manhattan on Monday to continue negotiations.
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