Saturday, December 15, 2012

NHL files suit, lockout to be contested in courts

The lockout, which has reached its 91st day on Saturday, has now moved onto the courts, thanks to a class action suit filed by the National Hockey League against the NHLPA on Friday.

The league has also filed an unfair labor practice charge against the National Labor Relations Board, charging the players' union with bad faith in negotiating and subverting the process of collective bargaining.

These motions were prompted by news that the union will vote this weekend on authorizing the NHLPA Executive Board to issue a "disclaimer of interest" in representing players during further Collective Bargaining Agreement discussions.

"The NHLPA has just received a copy of the National Labor Relations Board charge and has not yet been served with the lawsuit," the union revealed in a statement. "However, based on what we’ve learned so far, the NHL appears to be arguing that Players should be stopped from even considering their right to decide whether or not to be represented by a union. We believe that their position is completely without merit."

Confused? You're not the only ones.

Don't expect the Phanatic hockey staff to fully understand what's going on either. It's best that we simply report what happens, not the nuances of how, because that can become very tangled with legalese. Nonetheless, keep it here as the news will unfold this coming week.




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