NFL Lockout Lifted, Players to Vote on Settlement This Week
NFL players, who have been locked out since March 11, will return to work starting this week after the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) Executive Board and the 32 team representatives voted to approve the terms of a settlement with the owners.
As players report to team facilities this week, they will vote on the settlement, along with a vote to recertify the NFLPA as a union. The NFLPA renounced its status as a union in March to take legal anti-trust action against the owners’ lockout.
Also yesterday, the NFLPA Executive Board voted to recommend a settlement in the anti-trust suit (Brady et al v. NFL) against the league by 10 players. NFLPA President Kevin Mawae says the negotiations have “been a long road for everyone involved.”
While it is not yet over, the diligence demonstrated by active and former players speaks volumes to their dedication to reaching a fair deal. This settlement is an essential component to what will be a long-term agreement benefitting players, owners and fans. Read the rest of this entry »
Workers Thank Packers’ Woodson for Support
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Over the weekend, Green Bay Packers cornerback Charles Woodson came out in strong support for Wisconsin public service workers who are battling back against Gov. Scott Walker’s (R) attack on their right to bargaining for middle-class jobs.
These hard working people are under an unprecedented attack to take away their basic rights to have a voice and collectively bargain at work.
The response to Woodson’s support has been uniformly positive and not just from Packers’ fans. Here are just a few from the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) website.
As a first grade teacher in Green Bay, Wis., please pass on my heartfelt thanks to Charles Woodson for his support of the hard-working public employees of Wisconsin.—Amy Swette
Thank you Charles for standing with us! We will not forget your support, it means a lot! I own a small home daycare and my husband is a Wisconsin state park worker and we are raising two young children. I just wanted to thank you for your support!—Beth Stopper
Last Super Bowl? Block the Lockout
If you are a football fan, savor Sunday’s Super Bowl, because when the Packers and Steelers leave the field that may be the last game in a long time. The National Football League (NFL) owners say they will lock out the players next season unless they agree to outrageous givebacks.
Even if you are not a football fan, you should be concerned because a lockout won’t only impact football players and fans. Stadium employees will be jobless. Sports bars, police officers who provide stadium security, restaurants, hotels and others who work supporting the game also will be hurt. In fact, 4.8 million workers will feel the impact, and $4.5 billion in revenue will disappear from 32 cities around the nation.
The National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) recently tried to get a clear message out to fans in a TV commercial that simply says to the owners, “Don’t lock us out. Let us play.” But CBS is refusing to air the ad. Click here to watch the ad.
You can help the players get their message out by signing our “Block the Lockout” Petition. Click here to sign the petition. You also can sign the Twitter petition here or by tweeting: petition @NFL: I demand a #SuperBowl in 2012! DO NOT lock out football players next season, #LetThemPlay. http://act.ly/31w
NFL Players Selects Smith as Executive Director
Washington, D.C., attorney DeMaurice Smith was selected today as executive director of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA). He succeeds the late Gene Upshaw, who died in August 2008. The NFL Player Representatives unanimously chose Smith to serve a three-year term.
Smith, 45, is a trial lawyer and litigation partner at the District of Columbia law firm Patton Boggs. A former assistant U.S. attorney, Smith previously served as counsel to then-Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder in the U.S. Department of Justice.
In a press release, Smith says:
I’m humbled by their decision. I’m honored and proud to lead a great group of men. I think we understand the challenges that face us but we also understand the strength of our unity.
