Union considers decertification vote to try blocking lockout

[falcon057]

CBSSports.com wire reports

Sep. 11, 2010

NEW YORK -- The NFL Players Association is handing out voting cards to the players that could lead to decertification of the union.

A person familiar with the union's plans told the Associated Press on Saturday that players from all 32 teams will be asked to consider decertification, which could prevent the owners from locking out the players after the collective bargaining agreement expires in March.

The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the union has not announced its plans.

Should the union decertify, it could have the right to sue the league under antitrust laws if the players are locked out. It is sending out voting cards now because, logistically, getting enough signatures after the season would be difficult, if not impossible.

The story was first reported by the Sports Business Journal, which cited a source as saying the New Orleans Saints already voted to decertify.

"This is purely a procedural matter and is a non-story until March," George Atallah, the NFLPA's assistant executive director, told the AP.

A letter sent to NFLPA membership has outlined to the players what voting for decertification would mean. DeMaurice Smith, the union's executive director, frequently has said he expects the owners to lock out the players.

Smith will be meeting with each team over the next few weeks.

The letter also says if the union does not decertify before March and the expiration of the CBA, it can't sue the league for six months.

Decertification also would strip the union of collective bargaining rights on behalf of the players, and could affect marketing of the players through NFL Players, the marketing arm of the union.

The NFL said it has no comment on the union's action.

In 1989, two years after a failed players' strike, the NFLPA decertified. It returned as a union in 1993, when a contract was reached with the league that provided for free agency. That landmark CBA has been renewed or restructured several times since 1993, including in 2006. The owners opted out of that deal in 2008.

[egghead]

I thought for some reason that they couldn't do the decertification. OH well. I guess I was wrong. Maybe I have it mixed up with the fact that they can't play scrub games. Hope something works out.

[falcon057]

The New Orleans Saints voted 59-0 to authorize the National Football League Players Association to decertify as a union if collective bargaining talks should eventually reach an impasse, according to union and player sources.

NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith asked the Saints to vote on the strategic procedure when he met with the team in New Orleans. The Saints voted on the issue Monday.

[falcon057]

A union source said NFLPA officials are scheduled to meet with three or four teams this week, including the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins.

The union expects to complete the process with all 32 teams by Thanksgiving.

[leahysailor]

Unions can do all the want to do but the owners/management still don't have to buy into what they're selling. A union can do only what the owner/ management will let them do. Georgia is an at will work state which means the player don't even have to be in the union unless they want to be. What I mean is a non union player can play right along side a union player and the union cannot do anything about it. Also being an at will work state the owner/ management can at anytime terminate anyones employment without giving that person any reason what so ever. We had a union vote at the plant where worked and we went through all the ins and outs of what a union can and cannot do. Just look at what Ronald Reagan did in 1980 he fired every air traffic controller in the country because they went out on strike.

[Finally]

Unions can do all the want to do but the owners/management still don't have to buy into what they're selling. A union can do only what the owner/ management will let them do. Georgia is an at will work state which means the player don't even have to be in the union unless they want to be. What I mean is a non union player can play right along side a union player and the union cannot do anything about it. Also being an at will work state the owner/ management can at anytime terminate anyones employment without giving that person any reason what so ever. We had a union vote at the plant where worked and we went through all the ins and outs of what a union can and cannot do. Just look at what Ronald Reagan did in 1980 he fired every air traffic controller in the country because they went out on strike.

Should the union decertify, it could have the right to sue the league under antitrust laws if the players are locked out.

[cnasty]

I swear, as much as I love the falcons with everything I have...... if this strike/lockout/no 2011 season actually happens, I may actually have to give up the NFL. This is just a crock of ******* #######. There's absolutely no reason for any of this to be happening at all. Somebody really needs to get in the face of these people and show them that it's the fans who drive this game, and if you p!ss off the fans then where do you expect to get money from?

[atlantaprodj]

I swear, as much as I love the falcons with everything I have...... if this strike/lockout/no 2011 season actually happens, I may actually have to give up the NFL. This is just a crock of ******* #######. There's absolutely no reason for any of this to be happening at all. Somebody really needs to get in the face of these people and show them that it's the fans who drive this game, and if you p!ss off the fans then where do you expect to get money from?

+1

[falcon057]

+1

bump

[Nighteyes]

I swear, as much as I love the falcons with everything I have...... if this strike/lockout/no 2011 season actually happens, I may actually have to give up the NFL. This is just a crock of ******* #######. There's absolutely no reason for any of this to be happening at all. Somebody really needs to get in the face of these people and show them that it's the fans who drive this game, and if you p!ss off the fans then where do you expect to get money from?

Agreed

Also I think that the DeMaurice Smith pick was a bad pick by the NFLPA.

[swgadirtybird]

All the ex-players doing sportscasting now make comments about I support the player and the union etc!

Wonder how many of they would start a business then give 60% of the businesses earnings to the employees. NONE

Lock out will really pizz me off but I don't blame just the owners. Union is greedy as heck.

[ukfalc]

This annoys me.

Where have the NFLPA have been for the last 2 years, espcially the 7 month off-season that we've just had? They should have been meeting the players to discuss decertification last year, and pounding their fists demanding meeting with the owners during this off-season.

The owners are just as bad. They've sat on their hands since June/July 2008 when they opted out of the CBA and done very little to resolve the situation themslves. They should have had lenghty meetingw to resolve their revenue sharing issues (which need to be sorted out before they can finalsie their negotiating position against the union) and putting proposals to the NFLPA.

Both sides' approach to date, seems to have to sit back, do nothing and let and let matters go to right to the wire, in the hope that the other side blinks. With no chance of any meaningful progress over the next 6 months whilst the owners and players are focusing on the season, we are going to wake up on February 7th with just 3-4 weeks to finalise a new CBA before a potential lockout in the first week of March.

The funny thign is, any lockout or failure to agree a new CBA would hurt league revenues so much, and league revenues wouldn't have to fall by very much at all to leave both sides worse off. For the sake of 1% or 2% (of fractions of a %) of league revenue, they are prepared to risk damage the sport forever. As any businessman knows, its better to won 40% of a multi-million dollar business, than 100% of a much less successful one. In this case, the players are better off with 58% of league renevue, rather than 60% of a much smaller pot.

[andrews31cain21]

well, its like i said in my thread, both sides are taking the fans for granite and expecting them to come back when its all said and done... Problem is with the economy like it is, fans are going to have no sympathy towards either side fighting over millions... as a matter of fact, i think it will take longer for the NFL to recover, if it ever does, than they think. Hockey was at the top of their popularity when the owners had their lockout, and there was no recession, and Hockey still has not recovered yet