SB Nation Philly - NBA files for unfair labor practices against players associationhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48987/philly-fave.png2011-08-05T10:41:12-04:00http://philly.sbnation.com/rss/stream/20630932011-08-05T10:41:12-04:002011-08-05T10:41:12-04:00NBA Lockout Update: Tough Talk From Both Sides
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<p>David Stern and Billy Hunter are taking their fight to the media a month into the lockout. Thus far, Stern has the upper hand.</p> <p>When the NBA Players Association, David Stern and key owners met earlier this week, the expectation was little would be accomplished. There's so much time left on the clock at this point that neither side is feeling a great deal of pressure. This point of a work stoppage is typically the time for each side to puff out their chest, draw a line in the stand, leak tidbits of information and generally do nothing to solve the myriad issues that caused the work stoppage in the first place. Billy Hunter and David Stern haven't failed to live up to expectations.</p>
<p>So far this week the NBA has filed a pair of lawsuits designed to take one of the union's trump cards (decertification) off the table before they even get a chance to play it. Stern compared the NBA's situation to the recently resolved NFL lockout and through their lawsuit, the NBA has accused the union of failing to negotiate in good faith. The league's contention is the union has repeatedly threatened to decertify in order to sue the league for antitrust violations.</p>
<p>Stern's most recent salvo landed Wednesday morning when "<a target="_blank" href="http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/6829321/sources-david-stern-paid-nba-lockout">sources learned</a>" Stern wouldn't receive a paycheck as long as the lockout endured. Various reports put Stern's salary between $15M and $23M per year. (Our very own sub-par center had something to say <a target="_blank" href="http://twitter.com/#!/spencerhawes00/status/98158796475596800">about Stern's compensation</a> on Twitter).</p>
<p>Not to be outdone, Billy Hunter <a target="_blank" href="http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/6832574/billy-hunter-expects-entire-nba-season-canceled">spoke to the press</a> later in the day Thursday and basically said the entire season is likely to be lost because Stern can't control a group of the newer owners. This isn't the first I've heard about how new owners are intent on realize a return on their significant investments. Times seem to have changed among the owners, and the group of entrenched owners who Stern held sway has definitely shrunk over the years, but according to several reports 22 of the 29 owners in the league (the NBA owns the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/teams/new-orleans-hornets">Hornets</a>) are losing money. Some of them are hemorrhaging money. I don't think it's taking much cajoling from anyone to get the owners on the same page.</p>
<p>The current CBA doesn't allow teams to make money. That fact isn't in question. As a whole, the league lost money despite increasing revenues. The union is doing everything in its power to try to deflect attention away from that fact, but until they're willing to seriously address the economics of the situation, these talks aren't going to progress. Personally, I think it's irresponsible for anyone involved in the negotiations to say it's "likely" the entire season will be lost when they've met a grand total of one time for negotiations in the past month. If that's truly the case, Hunter should be demanding more negotiating sessions.</p>
<p>If you're keeping score at home, you've got the head of the union essentially throwing his hands up in the air and saying "I give up." While the league has filed a lawsuit calling the union a bunch of crybabies who aren't willing to negotiate and David Stern apparently has 15-23 million reasons to get this deal done as soon as possible. The league would be winning the battle of public opinion to this point, if the public was actually paying attention.</p>
https://philly.sbnation.com/philadelphia-76ers/2011/8/5/2345925/nba-lockout-update-tough-talk-from-both-sidesBrian Ward2011-08-02T12:44:27-04:002011-08-02T12:44:27-04:00NBA files for unfair labor practices against players association
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<p><a href="http://philly.sbnation.com/philadelphia-76ers/2011/8/1/2310188/little-progress-made-in-nba-labor-meetings?from_stream_id=2063093" target="_blank">Yesterday</a> David Stern stated he did not believe the Players Association was bargaining in good faith, and today he went a step further, as the NBA <a href="http://www.nba.com/2011/news/08/02/nba-labor-lawsuit/" target="_blank">filed an unfair labor practice claim</a> to the National Labor Relations Board, as well as a lawsuit in federal court.</p>
<p>This is in response to the threats from the Players Association about decertification, and to establish that the lockout does not violate antitrust laws.</p>
<p>"These claims were filed in an effort to eliminate the use of impermissible pressure tactics by the union which are impeding the parties' ability to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement," said Adam Silver, Deputy Commissioner of the NBA. "For the parties to reach agreement on a new CBA, the union must commit to the collective bargaining process fully and in good faith."</p>
<p>Should the NLRB side with the owners, existing player contracts could be null and void if the Players Association does pursue decertification. As of yesterday, Derek Fisher, the president of the National Basketball Players Association, stated that they are not currently going to press forward with decertification.</p>
<p>Later in the day, the Players Association released the following statement, <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/sam_amick/08/02/labor/index.html" target="_blank">per Sports Illustrated</a>:</p>
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<p>"The litigation tactics of the NBA today are just another example of their bad faith bargaining and we will seek the complete dismissal of the actions as they are totally without merit. The NBA Players Association has not made any decision to disclaim its role as the collective bargaining representative of the players and has been engaged in good faith bargaining with the NBA for over two years. We urge the NBA to engage with us at the bargaining table and to use more productively the short time we have left before the 2011-12 season is seriously jeopardized."</p>
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https://philly.sbnation.com/2011/8/2/2339533/nba-files-for-unfair-labor-practices-against-players-associationDerek Bodner2011-08-01T19:12:19-04:002011-08-01T19:12:19-04:00Little progress made in NBA labor meetings
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<p>The NBA and the players union met for the first time since the lockout begin today, with reportedly little progress being made.</p>
<p>While it <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/daldridgetnt/status/98143679868452866" target="_blank">doesn't appear</a> the players union is certain to pursue decertification, the sides are beginning to get fairly combative. <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/KBerg_CBS/status/98149509103763456" target="_blank">According to Ken Berger</a> of CBS, when asked whether the players are bargaining in good faith, Stern replied, "I would say not". Immediately before that he claimed that the meeting left him pessimistic.</p>
<p>On the players side, <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/KBerg_CBS/status/98144857587064833" target="_blank">Derek Fisher said afterwards</a> that "where their proposal lies makes it hard to believe [they have a desire to get a deal done]". </p>
<p>The positive, if you could call it that, is that the players are <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/KBerg_CBS/status/98143994038599681" target="_blank">hoping to meet later this month</a>, preferably on two or three consecutive days.</p>
<p>Clearly, this wasn't an issue that was going to be solved with one three hour bargaining session, particularly this early in the game with no legal or financial pressure on either side. Still, some of the harsh words, particularly those coming from Stern, don't give a lot of faith that this will be resolved in a timely manner. Perhaps those three meetings later in the month, if they come to fruition, will provide some progress, but I wouldn't expect progress until regular season games are in doubt. And, if the 1998 lockout is any indication, it could be much longer than that until real concessions are made.</p>
https://philly.sbnation.com/philadelphia-76ers/2011/8/1/2310188/little-progress-made-in-nba-labor-meetingsDerek Bodner2011-07-27T20:30:39-04:002011-07-27T20:30:39-04:00NBA owners, players scheduled to meet
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<p>As <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/2011/7/26/2295454/first-bargaining-session-of-nba-lockout-to-be-held-in-early-august">reported by Tom Ziller</a>, the NBA Players Union and the owners are working on putting together the first bargaining session since the lockout began. <a href="http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/6810413/nba-union-first-collective-bargaining-talks-monday-sources-said" target="_blank">According to ESPN</a>, this meeting could be held as early as Monday, August 1st.</p>
<p>Players are currently guaranteed 57% of total Basketball Related Income, a figure that owners are looking to cut considerably, among numerous other concessions. Before the lockout ended the players offered to cut that number down to 54.6 percent.</p>
<p>While getting the key players on both sides in the same room talking is a step in the right direction, the overall outlook is still bleak. The players agents have recently talked about
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">decertification</span>, a move designed to put pressure on the league. The two sides similarly held their first session in early August during the 1998 lockout, which lasted until an agreement was reached on January 6th, one day before David Stern's recommended deadline to save the 1998-1999 season.</p>
<p>The 2010-2011 season was the first year during the previous CBA's 6 year run where player salaries did not meet the minimum of 57% of total Basketball Related Income, resulting in the owners having to pay the players $188 million, $162 million that was held in escrow plus an additional $26 million. Despite that, the league is claiming 22 out of 30 teams lost money over the last two years.</p>
https://philly.sbnation.com/2011/7/27/2338555/nba-owners-players-scheduled-to-meetDerek Bodner