Thread: NFL Players' Union Wins Federal Ruling Over $4 Bil

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-02/nfl-players-union-wins-federal-ruling-over-4-billion-television-contract.html

A federal judge found in favor of the NFL Players Union in its complaint about $4 billion of contracts between the National Football League and television companies.

U.S. District Judge David Doty, in Minneapolis, overruled an earlier decision on the matter by a special master, or arbitrator, that the NFL can receive television revenue even if games are wiped out this coming season by a labor dispute between the league and its players.

Seriously?

I ask the question again, how many of you asked your company to see their books so that you could figure out how much they were gonna pay you if they hired you?

Same follow-up question if you did.......Did they hire you after you asked to see their books?

Another thing that makes me scratch my head. "De-unionize" cause if your in a union you don't have any leverage......

Do the players then stand up a new union afterward, and if so, why if the union doesn't do anything for them..........:blink:

It's all part of the game. IMHO since the league is heavily taxpayer funded I believe the finances should be very transparent. When using government funds an entity has to disclose fully all financial documents during the application process and they are generally required to undergo a yearly audit for a period of time to ensure they are compliant and solvent.

They have a set agreement and that agreement states that the players get "X" percentage of the revenue. That was a mutually agreed upon term of the contract and the players are merely being diligent about knowing exactly what the real revenue numbers are. If not for that action the teams could hide revenue and not have to share that part.

Originally Posted by "Marrdro" #1090507

Seriously?

I ask the question again, how many of you asked your company to see their books so that you could figure out how much they were gonna pay you if they hired you?

Same follow-up question if you did.......Did they hire you after you asked to see their books?

Another thing that makes me scratch my head. "De-unionize" cause if your in a union you don't have any leverage......

Do the players then stand up a new union afterward, and if so, why if the union doesn't do anything for them..........:blink:

This article explains it fairly well. I know it is in the BR, but it was actually written by a Steelers columnist.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/485031-nfl-labor-talks-what-does-union-decertification-mean-for-the-nfl-and-nflpa

quote;

That same day, the NFLPA filed an antitrust lawsuit (Powell v. NFL) which it won, but was ultimately overturned in 1989 on appeal by the NFL.

The appeals court judgment basically said that players had to pick between being a union and represented under labor laws, or to not unionize and pursue its antitrust rights as individuals.

Originally Posted by "Purple Floyd" #1090512

It's all part of the game. IMHO since the league is heavily taxpayer funded I believe the finances should be very transparent. When using government funds an entity has to disclose fully all financial documents during the application process and they are generally required to undergo a yearly audit for a period of time to ensure they are compliant and solvent.

They have a set agreement and that agreement states that the players get "X" percentage of the revenue. That was a mutually agreed upon term of the contract and the players are merely being diligent about knowing exactly what the real revenue numbers are. If not for that action the teams could hide revenue and not have to share that part.

I understand all of that.

Let me ask the question a different way, how may companies out there have an agreement with their employees that they will get "X" percentage of the revenue?

Originally Posted by "marshallvike" #1090540

Originally Posted by "Marrdro" #1090507

Seriously?

I ask the question again, how many of you asked your company to see their books so that you could figure out how much they were gonna pay you if they hired you?

Same follow-up question if you did.......Did they hire you after you asked to see their books?

Another thing that makes me scratch my head. "De-unionize" cause if your in a union you don't have any leverage......

Do the players then stand up a new union afterward, and if so, why if the union doesn't do anything for them..........:blink:

This article explains it fairly well. I know it is in the BR, but it was actually written by a Steelers columnist.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/485031-nfl-labor-talks-what-does-union-decertification-mean-for-the-nfl-and-nflpa

quote;

That same day, the NFLPA filed an antitrust lawsuit (Powell v. NFL) which it won, but was ultimately overturned in 1989 on appeal by the NFL.

The appeals court judgment basically said that players had to pick between being a union and represented under labor laws, or to not unionize and pursue its antitrust rights as individuals.

Again, as I told PF, let me try to say it in a different mannaer......

Why was the union good in the past, but now, when it doesn't provide you any leverage, do you want to throw it under the bus and rely on the courts to get you more money?

Originally Posted by "Marrdro" #1090608

Originally Posted by "marshallvike" #1090540

Originally Posted by "Marrdro" #1090507

Seriously?

I ask the question again, how many of you asked your company to see their books so that you could figure out how much they were gonna pay you if they hired you?

Same follow-up question if you did.......Did they hire you after you asked to see their books?

Another thing that makes me scratch my head. "De-unionize" cause if your in a union you don't have any leverage......

Do the players then stand up a new union afterward, and if so, why if the union doesn't do anything for them..........:blink:

This article explains it fairly well. I know it is in the BR, but it was actually written by a Steelers columnist.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/485031-nfl-labor-talks-what-does-union-decertification-mean-for-the-nfl-and-nflpa

quote;

That same day, the NFLPA filed an antitrust lawsuit (Powell v. NFL) which it won, but was ultimately overturned in 1989 on appeal by the NFL.

The appeals court judgment basically said that players had to pick between being a union and represented under labor laws, or to not unionize and pursue its antitrust rights as individuals.

Again, as I told PF, let me try to say it in a different mannaer......

Why was the union good in the past, but now, when it doesn't provide you any leverage, do you want to throw it under the bus and rely on the courts to get you more money?

It doesn't seem like a real union anyway. Everyone still negotiates their own individual contracts. Remember what happened in the last strike? After a few weeks, some big name players began to cross the line on their own union and then the floodgates opened, leaving the players at a serious disadvantage.

Originally Posted by "Marrdro" #1090507

Seriously?

I ask the question again, how many of you asked your company to see their books so that you could figure out how much they were gonna pay you if they hired you?

Same follow-up question if you did.......Did they hire you after you asked to see their books?

Another thing that makes me scratch my head. "De-unionize" cause if your in a union you don't have any leverage......

Do the players then stand up a new union afterward, and if so, why if the union doesn't do anything for them..........:blink:

I don't think deunionization is right, just a legal loophole to get what they want.

The television money does make sense to me though. The players get a % of that money so the NFL should not be allowed to make a deal with the tv company where they keep all the money.
Would be like me and you going to the bar, drinking all night, then when it's time to split up the tab I inform you that it's been buy one get one free, and I drank the free ones. (ok not really the same at all, but I still don't think it was a fair deal for the union).

Interesting I just talked to a guy that works at a unionized steel shop. The employees all took pay cuts, but the employer did allow them to see the books, atleast tell them what the profit was.

At my work place, and many others, compensation/bonuses are directly related to the profit of the business.

Originally Posted by "jmcdon00" #1090668

Originally Posted by "Marrdro" #1090507

Seriously?

I ask the question again, how many of you asked your company to see their books so that you could figure out how much they were gonna pay you if they hired you?

Same follow-up question if you did.......Did they hire you after you asked to see their books?

Another thing that makes me scratch my head. "De-unionize" cause if your in a union you don't have any leverage......

Do the players then stand up a new union afterward, and if so, why if the union doesn't do anything for them..........:blink:

I don't think deunionization is right, just a legal loophole to get what they want.

The television money does make sense to me though. The players get a % of that money so the NFL should not be allowed to make a deal with the tv company where they keep all the money.
Would be like me and you going to the bar, drinking all night, then when it's time to split up the tab I inform you that it's been buy one get one free, and I drank the free ones. (ok not really the same at all, but I still don't think it was a fair deal for the union).

Interesting I just talked to a guy that works at a unionized steel shop. The employees all took pay cuts, but the employer did allow them to see the books, atleast tell them what the profit was.

At my work place, and many others, compensation/bonuses are directly related to the profit of the business.

Good post.

Originally Posted by "Marrdro" #1090608

Originally Posted by "marshallvike" #1090540

Originally Posted by "Marrdro" #1090507

Seriously?

I ask the question again, how many of you asked your company to see their books so that you could figure out how much they were gonna pay you if they hired you?

Same follow-up question if you did.......Did they hire you after you asked to see their books?

Another thing that makes me scratch my head. "De-unionize" cause if your in a union you don't have any leverage......

Do the players then stand up a new union afterward, and if so, why if the union doesn't do anything for them..........:blink:

This article explains it fairly well. I know it is in the BR, but it was actually written by a Steelers columnist.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/485031-nfl-labor-talks-what-does-union-decertification-mean-for-the-nfl-and-nflpa

quote;

That same day, the NFLPA filed an antitrust lawsuit (Powell v. NFL) which it won, but was ultimately overturned in 1989 on appeal by the NFL.

The appeals court judgment basically said that players had to pick between being a union and represented under labor laws, or to not unionize and pursue its antitrust rights as individuals.

Again, as I told PF, let me try to say it in a different mannaer......

Why was the union good in the past, but now, when it doesn't provide you any leverage, do you want to throw it under the bus and rely on the courts to get you more money?

Because as a union, the Owners can vote to lock out the players...and the dispute is settled by the NLRB

If the Union decertifies, then the Players can file an anti-trust suit which is settled in court.

Problem is, from what I'm reading, the Owners can counter that the Union is decertifying in name only...

Essentially, it's a tool to prevent a lock out.

Caine