The NFL season is underway and is as popular as ever and no one wants to talk about the impending work stoppage that is expected to take place in 2011. But a new maneuver by the players is to decertify the NFL Players Association.
NFL Teams Are Decertifying From The Union To Avoid A Lockout
Decertifying means that players no longer will be part of the players union, and in effect will leave the owners with no one to negotiate with and allow the players to sue the owners if they try to lock out the players:
Decertification would strip the union of its collective bargaining rights on behalf of the players, so the move might seem counter-intuitive. But since antitrust laws exempt NFL owners from being sued by unions that are negotiating CBAs, decertification would in essence eliminate the union and allow players to sue the NFL in the event of a lockout -- giving them potential leverage in their dispute with the owners.
So far, the Colts, Cowboys, Saints and Eagles are the only teams to have voted to decertify the NFLPA, but expect more teams to follow suit; the union wants all of the teams to hold a vote before Thanksgiving, according to the Indianapolis Star. NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith plans to meet with players from each team in the league over the next couple weeks, according to the Associated Press.
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