Issues which prevented a new NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement from being reached:

• The NFL demanded a multi-billion dollar giveback and refused to provide any legitimate financial information to justify it.

• The NFL’s offer on March 7 to give the NFLPA a single sheet of numbers was NOT financial disclosure. The players’ accountants and bankers advised that the “offered” information was meaningless: only two numbers for each year.

• The NFL wanted to turn the clock back on player compensation by four years, moving them back to where they were in 2007.

• The NFL offered no proposal at all for long-term share of revenues.

• NFL demanded 100% of all revenues which went above unrealistically low projections for the first four years.

• The NFL refused to meet the players on significant changes to in-season, off-season or pre-season health and safety rules.

• The NFL kept on the table its hypocritical demand for an 18-game season, despite its public claims to be working toward improving the heath and safety of players.

• The NFL wanted cutbacks in payer workers’ compensation benefits for injured players.

• The NFL sought to limit rookie compensation long after they become veterans — into players’ fourth and fifth years

• THE PLAYERS WANT TO KEEP PLAYING
  • The players offered repeatedly to continue working under the existing CBA, but were rejected by the NFL five times.
  • Despite publicly admitting no club was losing money, that TV ratings, sponsorship money, etc. were at an all time high, the NFL continued to insist on an 18-percent rollback in the players’ share of revenues and continue to deny the NFLPA’s request for justification.

NFLPA Renounces Union Status: What Does This Mean?

• Because a fair, new Collective Bargaining Agreement was unable to be reached by the expiration of the current contract, the NFLPA, to best serve its members, has renounced its status as a union in order to block the impending lockout by the owners of the NFL.

• By disclaiming interest, the NFLPA no longer represents the players in collective bargaining with the NFL. The collective bargaining process proved futile due to the owners’ desire to implement a lockout, and the players must take new action to fight to keep the 2011 season on track.

• As shown by a March 1 ruling by Judge David Doty, the NFL has been actively strategizing for a lockout of the players for more than two years. The NFL negotiated contracts with TV networks to provide over $4 billion in 2011to the NFL even if the owners shut down the League and no games are played in 2011. A federal judge decided that the purpose of the NFL’s deliberate actions was to “advance its own interests and harm the interests of the players.”

• The NFL left the players no choice. The protections afforded by federal anti-trust laws that prohibit illegal corporate behavior now offer the players the best chance to prevent a lockout and protect themselves and their families. Under federal law, the players understand that they must relinquish union affiliation to pursue their anti-trust case.

• Any agreement reached from this point forward with the NFL will be as a result of the court system, not a collective bargaining agreement.

• Disclaiming interest is the last ditch effort by the players to save the 2011 season.

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