REAL WORD NEGOTIATIONS

Instructions The NFL lockout has been big news for many football fans and businesses. There are many articles about what happened from the beginning until the issues were resolved and the lockout ended. **Read my attached article.** Read as much as you can on this issue. This is real world negotiation. Write a minimum of three full pages of text, double spaced, 12 font. Be sure your name and date are on the first page. Follow APA format. Case Study One: 1. Facts. Give an overview of the current NFL situation, be brief as possible, do not repeat the entire sequence of moves. What interesting or surprising things happened? 2. Mistakes. What do you think should not have been done? What types of strategies were used? Were they good ones? Why or why not? Was the outcome of the lockout a win-win situation? Why or why not? 3. Insights into style. What personal insights do you take away from this experience? What did you learn from the behavior of others in this situation? Do you sympathize more with one side than the other? Review the various conflict styles; competing, collaborating, compromising,avoiding and accommodating. 4. Concepts and tools. How do the concepts presented in the readings and discussions enrich your understanding of the process in negotiation (for this NFL situation), its outcome and or your own style? Review the various conflict styles; competing, collaborating, compromisin ============ Case Study One Players go to court as NFL labor talks break off Union decertifies, clearing the way for individual players to file antitrust lawsuits against the NFL - Font size - Print - E-mail - Share - 38 Comments Like this Story? Share it: Share On Facebook - o NFL Players Association Executive Director DeMaurice Smith speaks as he and a group of player representatives arrive for labor talks at the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service building March 11, 2011 in Washington, DC. (Getty Images) - Previous slide Next slide o 0 o 1 - Stories - If NFL stops, "innocent bystanders" to take hit (CBS/AP) WASHINGTON - NFL labor talks broke down just hours before the latest contract extension expired Friday. The union decertified, and players including MVP quarterbacks Tom Brady and Peyton Manning sued the league, putting the country's most popular sport on a path to its first work stoppage since 1987. After 16 days of mediated talks with the NFL, the sides could not reach agreement on a new deal. The current one expires at the end of Friday, and the league could lock out its players. By decertifying, the union clears the way for individual players to file antitrust lawsuits against the NFL, which opted out of the CBA in 2008. It renounced its right to represent the players in contract bargaining. The CBA was due to expire a week ago and was extended twice. The union's latest move sets the stage for a lengthy court fight that could potentially threaten the 2011 season. The last work stoppage came when the players struck 24 years ago, leading to games with replacement players. Mike Freeman: NFL, players get down and dirty Pete Prisco: Both sides at fault In 1989, the NFLPA also decertified. Antitrust lawsuits by players forced a new CBA in 1993 that included free agency, and the union formed again that year. "We met with the owners until about 4 o'clock today," union head DeMaurice Smith said outside the mediator's office. "We discussed a proposal they had presented. At this time, significant differences continue to remain. We informed the owners that ... if there was going to be a request for an extension, that we asked for 10 years of audited financial information to accompany that extension." About 15 minutes later, the union decertified. "The parties have not achieved an overall agreement," federal mediator George Cohen said, "nor have they been able to resolve the strongly held competing positions that separated them on core issues. "No useful purpose would be served by requesting the parties to continue the mediation process at this time." The players' union immediately shut down its websites — NFLPA.org and NFLPlayers.com. A search for NFLPA.org yielded this message: "Error 404: Football Not Found. Please be patient as we work on resolving this. We are sorry for the inconvenience." The NFL issued a (very) lengthy statement of its own: "The fastest way to a fair agreement is for both the union and the clubs to continue the mediation process. Unfortunately, the players' union has notified our office that at 4pm ET it had "decertified" and is walking away from mediation and collective bargaining, presumably to initiate the antitrust litigation it has been threatening to file. In an effort to get a fair agreement now, the clubs offered a deal that would have had no adverse financial impact upon veteran players in the early years and would meet the players' financial demands in the latter years. "The union left a very good deal on the table. It included an offer to narrow the player compensation gap that existed in the negotiations by splitting the difference; guarantee reallocation of savings from first-round rookies to veterans and retirees without negatively affecting compensation for rounds 2-7; ensure no compensation reduction for veterans; implement new year-round health and safety rules; retain the current 16-4 season format for at least two years with any subsequent changes subject to the approval of the league and union; and establish a new legacy fund for retired players ($82 million contributed by the owners over the next two years). "The union was offered financial disclosure of audited league and club profitability information that is not even shared with the NFL clubs. "The expanded health and safety rules would include a reduction in offseason programs of five weeks (from 14 to nine) and of OTAs (Organized Team Activities) from 14 to 10; significant reductions in the amount of contact in practices; and other changes. "At a time when thousands of employees are fighting for their collective bargaining rights, this union has chosen to abandon collective bargaining in favor of a sham 'decertification' and antitrust litigation. This litigation maneuver is built on the indisputably false premise that the NFLPA has stopped being a union and will merely delay the process of reaching an agreement. "The NFL clubs remain committed to collective bargaining and the federal mediation process until an agreement is reached. The NFL calls on the union to return to negotiations immediately. NFL players, clubs, and fans want an agreement. The only place it can be reached is at the bargaining table."