Catherwood LibraryILR School

The National Football League's owners and former players' union are undergoing a National Labor Relations Board process to ascertain whether the players' union was bargaining in good faith. The former head of the players' union says that they were, but it does not matter because the union has decertified and is no longer a union. The NLRB's decision is complicated by contract language that states that the owners would not raise the issue of sham decertification in disputes over labor exemption issues. The owners say that the language only applies to antitrust issues. The players' antitrust suit against the N.F.L., Tom Brady v. N.F.L. will begin in federal court on April 6. The NLRB decision is not expected to come for at least a few months, as the Board tries to understand both sides of the dispute. The N.F.L. filed the charges on February 14.