Is the NFLPA Turning Up the Heat on the NFL Owners?
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While rumors claim that the NFL owners and NFL Players Association (NFLPA) are still negotiating, by its recent moves the NFLPA is not exactly showing its holiday spirit.
In a letter to its players, the union told the players to save their last 2 game checks as the “internal” deadline for an agreement had now passed. The union fears that the NFL will lockout its players when the current CBA expires on March 3, 2011. Apparently, the NFLPA must feel it’s time to do some more serious saber rattling.
There are now reports that the union may file a collusion case against the owners charging that the league had an agreement (amongst the owners) to keep players’ salaries low by not signing free agents to large long term deals. Under the CBA, the collusion case must be filed this week, however, the details of the NFLPA’s claims are still unknown.
During labor negotiations, one side may feel that the process simply isn’t moving fast enough. When this occurs, a party, like the NFLPA, may start to take actions to prime the pump of faster negotiations. This week the NFLPA started acting inpatient with the NFL owners.
The real downside to the union’s “impatience” could be retaliation by owners and a labor stalemate. In the end, negotiations will go down to the wire (like they always do) and the sides are going to have to decide if there is enough money for everyone.
My name is Christopher Fusco. I am the managing partner of Callahan & Fusco, LLC with offices in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.