NFL LABOR STRIKE

In case you have not heard, there is not an NFL labor strike.

Rather, on March 11, 2011, the “collective bargaining agreement” between NFL owners and the NFL Players' Association (NFLPA) expired, resulting in a “decertification” of the NFL NFLPA and a “lock-out” by owners.  In the likely event that your copy of Madden NFL 2011 did not come with a Black’s Law Dictionary, keep reading this Blog to understand what all this means.

“Collective bargaining” is a process by which a group of workers (the players) negotiate with their employer (the NFL owners) with the goal of reaching an agreement or contract which governs their conditions of employment.  If an agreement is reached, the parties refer to their contract as a “collective bargaining agreement.”

Employees are often represented in these negotiations by labor organizations such as the NFLPA.  Collective bargaining agreements typically last for only a specified duration and, upon expiration, must be re-negotiated.  Here, the collective bargaining agreement expired, which means that there is no current contract between the NFL players and owners.

“Decertification” is a process whereby a union stops acting as the bargaining representative for a group of employees (in this case the players), and permits the employees to negotiate with management directly.  Theoretically, this forces the employer to negotiate with each employee or player individually, and opens the door for employees to file individual claims against management (i.e. Peyton Manning’s anti-trust suit – a topic for later discussion). 

Finally, a “lock-out” is not a strike.  In fact, it is just the opposite.  A lock-out occurs when an employer closes its business and refuses to allow its employees to come to work until they agree to its terms. A lockout is invoked to put pressure on the employees or their union to accept management’s last offer because employees are not paid during a lock-out.  Because the NFL owners have “locked-out” the players, there can be no off-season workouts at the teams’ facilities. 

For now, there is no agreement, and NFL fans may have to stick to Madden’s game or turn to college gridiron to get their football fix.