PFT: League, union agree to federal mediation

[WoodysGirl]

osted by Mike Florio on February 17, 2011, 3:56 PM EST

The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service has announced that the league and the NFLPA have agreed to allow the agency to be involved in the process.

“I have had separate, informal discussions with the key representatives of the National Football League and the National Football League Players Association during the course of their negotiations for a successor collective bargaining agreement,” agency director George H. Cohen said in a written statement, according to Mark Maske of the Washington Post. “At the invitation of the FMCS, and with the agreement of both parties, the ongoing negotiations will now be conducted under my auspices in Washington, D.C., commencing Friday, February 18.

Read the rest: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/02/17/league-union-agree-to-federal-mediation/

 

[Doomsday101]

This is a good progress and hopefully will lead to a deal.

 

[Meat-O-Rama]

I would think a third party would be able to get them the closest to a deal that is fair to all sides involved. They may want to take the proposals and tweak them a bit, but I think it's a good start if both sides are truly committed to getting this done.

The outcome of a fair negotiation is where neither party comes away feeling like they got the best of the deal.

 

[Jarv]

Excellent, once they agree to mediation can either side back out ?

 

[Doomsday101]

Excellent, once they agree to mediation can either side back out ?

They can since nothing is binding from the mediator, but I think the move by both sides show they are willing to compromise.

 

[MarionBarberThe4th]

Im hearing this is all just BS and we should sit tight for a long time for them to get serious

 

[arglebargle]

This should help to keep things on a relatively civil level. Documentation of extremism by either side, by a neutral third party, should cause that behavior to ramp down.

 

[ajk23az]

Looks like they agreed to 7 straight days of mediation, beginning on Friday.

https://twitter.com/#!/ProFootballTalk/status/38378549412888576

 

[5Stars]

:nolook: ray:

We poor fans...

Please!! Don't take that awy from us! We need football this coming season...

You rember, member..? What about us?

 

[peplaw06]

I would think a third party would be able to get them the closest to a deal that is fair to all sides involved. They may want to take the proposals and tweak them a bit, but I think it's a good start if both sides are truly committed to getting this done.

The outcome of a fair negotiation is where neither party comes away feeling like they got the best of the deal.

More often than not the outcome of a mediation agreement is that neither side is really happy... When both sides meet in the middle, they have to be willing to give something up that may have been important to them.

 

[Randy White]

not be binding, but the public relations hit either of the sides would take if they back down would be very significant. Neither side could really afford such hit.

 

[5Stars]

More often than not the outcome of a mediation agreement is that neither side is really happy... When both sides meet in the middle, they have to be willing to give something up that may have been important to them.

Really...? When did you learn that?


:laugh2:

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

not be binding, but the public relations hit either of the sides would take if they back down would be very significant. Neither side could really afford such hit.

Very true. I am very interested as to what the mediator will recommend.

 

[Hostile]

It's too bad these bone heads need it.

 

[big dog cowboy]

This is good news. Listening to the guys on Total Access, it sounds like we may finally be heading in the right direction. Seven straight days of talks should produce something.

 

[peplaw06]

Really...? When did you learn that?


:laugh2:

Just about every time I get a case settled at mediation the client complains about it afterwards. It may not be worse-case scenario for anyone, but when most people have a "wish list" of things they want in a best-case scenario, anything less is going to eat at them.

Most people I deal with in mediation are so emotionally invested in the case and getting everything that they want, that they focus on what they lost rather than appreciate what they gained.

 

[peplaw06]

Very true. I am very interested as to what the mediator will recommend.

A mediator can make "recommendations" in closed door sessions with each side, but it's never binding on any party. And most of the time, the things a mediator recommends are confidential.

This may be different, because it's so thoroughly covered by the media, but that's how it generally works.

 

[Randy White]

Very true. I am very interested as to what the mediator will recommend.

I'm predicting something in the middle. Players will likely give up an extra 500 to 700 million dollars ( 1.5 to 1.7 billions off the top ), owners would open up all the books under confidentiality agreements to verify the need for that, there will be an 18 games season ( to my dismay ) with more roster spots, and there will be a stronger rookie wage scale.

In other words, everything that's reasonable to both sides but only because of the posturing as to show who's is bigger, they had to go through all this " soap opera ".. I may be in the minority with this, but us men are more melodramatic than women..

And I still stand by my original comments that this is not really a war between labor and management. This is really a war between management themselves, but they want to see how much they can squeeze out of labor first.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

A mediator can make "recommendations" in closed door sessions with each side, but it's never binding on any party. And most of the time, the things a mediator recommends are confidential.

This may be different, because it's so thoroughly covered by the media, but that's how it generally works.

I imagine as much as both parties are interested in playing this out in the media that we will get full details.

This story attracts mediots like flies on ****.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

I'm predicting something in the middle. Players will likely give up an extra 500 to 700 million dollars ( 1.5 to 1.7 billions off the top ), owners would open up all the books under confidentiality agreements to verify the need for that, there will be an 18 games season ( to my dismay ) with more roster spots, and there will be a stronger rookie wage scale.

In other words, everything that's reasonable to both sides but only because of the posturing as to show who's is bigger, they had to go through all this " soap opera ".. I may be in the minority with this, but us men are more melodramatic than women..

And I still stand by my original comments that this is not really a war between labor and management. This is really a war between management themselves, but they want to see how much they can squeeze out of labor first.

I am not sure what you mean about a war amongst management. what are you thinking?