Players Vote to Authorize Decertifying Labour Union -NHL Lockout Update
An overwhelming majority of players that were set to take part in the voting process to decertify the National Hockey League (NHL) Players’ Association and did exactly that as sources now claim that over 700 members have given the NHLPA board the authority
to file a "disclaimer of interest”.
According to reports, 706 players voted in favour of decertifying the labour union, while just 22 members voted against it and did not see it as a fit move to make at this moment in time.
In order to file a lawsuit against the NHL and claim damages caused due to the lockout, stakeholders are seeing this move as an important one is moving a step closer to doing just that. There is no confirmation that players will now file suit individually,
but the formalities have been taken care of now.
Learning a lesson from how the National Basketball Association (NBA) had ended its lockout, which lasted nearly a full season, players are looking to achieve a deal now that they have given up on trying to use representation.
"I think this is much more likely to lead to a settlement sooner," Jeffrey Kessler, who lead the negotiation for the NBA Players’ Association, told The Canadian Press last week. "The players have concluded that they are on the verge of possibly deciding
that it is better not to be a union and using the antitrust laws to attack the lockout, which all fans should be happy with because it'll work."
On the other hand, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is still not seeing it as something that could threat their position in the lockout or force them to compromise on certain issues.
"We don't view it in the same way in terms of its impact as apparently the union may," Bettman said.
It has been over three months now since the previous collective bargaining agreement came to an end on September 15, 2012, but nothing significant has been made in order to bring the work stoppage to an end.
Talks had kicked off as early as June of this year, but both sides failed in making the magic happen despite a number of milestones.
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