Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Labor talks to resume Wednesday

National Hockey League Players' Association
There is still time to work things out and not time to panic yet - this is just the beginning of the negotiations. The regular season doesn't start until October 11, 2012.
NEW YORK (AP) -- The NHL and the NHL Players' Association are set to resume labor talks on Wednesday at the league offices in New York.

Total revenue of the league's operations is the biggest sticking point right now, and it's an important one. The players like their cut right now. The owners don't.

The two sides met last Friday in another round of negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement before the current one expires on Sept. 15.

There were multiple reports coming out of the last round of talks that the owners' offer included players' hockey-related revenues get slashed from 57 percent to 46 percent. It also was reported that players would be forced to wait 10 years before becoming unrestricted free agents and that contracts would be limited to five years -- a major change considering Zach Parise and fellow blue-chip free agent Ryan Suter decided to sign matching 13-year, $98 million contracts with the Minnesota Wild.

NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr and NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly are among those meeting Wednesday. The two sides have regularly met since opening talks June 29 in a bid to reach a new collective bargaining agreement.
Enhanced by Zemanta