The NFLPA has been warning players and agents about a potential work stoppage for the past couple of years, and a new development signaled more of the same. NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith sent a letter to every single NFL agent that stated the union is “advising players to plan for a work stoppage of at least a year in length” at the conclusion of the current collective bargaining agreement, which will end following the 2020 campaign.
Or, as Vince McMahon calls it, the year the XFL makes its move.
The NFLPA has been hammered for the way it seemingly caved to the NFL during the last collective bargaining negotiations. Big issues that have led to controversy since then have dominated the news cycle. Among them are how much control commissioner Roger Goodell has gained, the amount of guarantees players deserve in their contracts and the fact that medical marijuana is still banned by the league—leading to many suspensions, some of which have been indefinite —despite scientific evidence that it is much more helpful than opiates when it comes to pain management.
With all that in mind, it’s hardly surprising to hear that the union is preparing for a prolonged strike. Seems like they are realizing the only way to control their runaway commissioner, is to put him—and themselves—in a time out.
Source: Sportsnaut