In Labor Clash, N.F.L.'s Union Calls Old Play
The contract between the National Football League and the player's union expires at midnight on Thursday, and their has been little progress in negotiations between the two sides. The union may be planning to decertify itself, which would allow individual players to sue the league, a tactic which worked well for them more than 20 years ago, winning them the right to free agency. The union say that they would decertify as a way of stopping a lockout by owners, allowing players to get back on the field and the regular season to continue. If the union decertifies, the owners will open themselves up to anti-trust lawsuits which could cost them billions. Members of the National Football League Players Association voted to give the executive director the power to decertify in the fall. How negotiations proceed, or do not proceed in the NFL is seen as indicative of negotiations in basketball later this year.
See "In Labor Clash, N.F.L.'s Union Calls Old Play", Judy Battista, The New York Times, March 1, 2011