WASHINGTON (AP) — That reprieve in NFL labor negotiations will last another week.
The
league and the players’ union agreed Friday on a seven-day extension of
the collective bargaining agreement. The CBA was set to run out on
Thursday before a 24-hour extension was granted.
Federal mediator George Cohen announced the new agreement. Talks will resume Monday.
"We
are continuing to work hard, to identify solutions," NFL Commissioner
Roger Goodell said. "We believe that, as I’ve said many times before,
that this will be solved through negotiations and that’s what we’re
focused on."
"We’ll continue to work hard, and we’ll be back next week."
NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith also planned to speak to the media.
Both
sides met for the 11th day with Cohen before settling on a plan to keep
talking. If the CBA expires the owners could lock out the players, and
the union could decertify to try and prevent that through the courts —
something the NFLPA did in 1989.
"Talking is better than litigating," Goodell said.
For
the moment, it at least staves off the NFL’s first work stoppage since
the 1987 players’ strike. It certainly indicates neither the owners nor
the players are ready to make a bold move to shut down a league that
rakes in $9 billion a year.
But the extension doesn’t mean the sides have gotten close on the key issues:
—
How to divide the league’s revenues, including what cut team owners
should get up front to help cover certain costs, such as stadium
construction. Under the old deal, owners received about $1 billion off
the top. They entered these negotiations seeking to add another $1
billion to that.
— A rookie wage scale, and how much of the money saved by the owners under such a system would go to
veteran players.
—
The owners’ push to expand the regular season from 16 games to 18 while
reducing the preseason by two games. The players oppose that idea,
citing health factors, especially the number of injuries already
sustained during a 16-game regular season.
— Benefits for retired players.
