NFL lockout continues

The labor struggle between NFL players and team owners continues.

The two parties failed to reach a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), after extending the existing CBA to allow more time for negotiations.

On March 11, NFL owners declared a lockout. That same day, NFL players voted to dissolve the NFL Players Union (NFLPA) and filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in St. Paul, Minn. The suit alleges that NFL owners violated anti-trust laws, engaged in price fixing and an illegal group boycott. There have been no talks since.

Don Davis, an NFLPA regional director and winner of two Super Bowls with the New England Patriots, said during the lockout players are doing what they can to stay in shape.

“They’re just hoping to get back to work. It’s out of our hands. We did everything we could,” said Davis, who spoke at the 2011 UAW National Community Action Program (CAP) Conference in January.

UAW Region 8 Director Gary Casteel said getting involved in the NFLPA struggle was the right thing for the union to do. “We went to the NFLPA and told them that we wanted to be a part of this struggle,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if you work on the [assembly] line or on the line of scrimmage. You still have a boss, and the boss is still out to take what he can from you.”

On April 6, both legal teams were back in court at an injunction hearing before Judge Susan Nelson, with the players seeking a preliminary injunction to end the lockout.

They allege that a lockout by the owners causes irreparable harm to players by not allowing access to facilities for training. They also claim that a lockout adversely affects more than 300 players who are not under contract. In addition, team owners sent a letter to the NFLPA requesting that talks continue in federal court in Washington.

“We’re exploring the possibility of sitting down with a federal judge, but we want the matter heard in St. Paul and not in Washington, D.C.,” said Davis at press time.

Herman Jenkins