Left without options for any type of redress under the Collective Bargaining Agreement or the PED policy, suspended Eagles tackle Lane Johnson has filed administrative claims against both the NFL and the NFL Players Association.
Via Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com, Johnson has filed unfair labor practice charges against the NFL and NFLPA with the National Labor Relations Board. Johnson also has filed a claim against the NFLPA with the Department of Labor under the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act.
The specific legal and factual theories alleged by Johnson aren’t yet known. The controversy likely arises from accusations Johnson made about the accuracy of information provided to players regarding banned substances, the NFLPA’s disagreement with Johnson’s contention, and a statement from Johnson’s lawyer urging the NFLPA to investigate leaks to the media that Johnson was facing a suspension before the suspension became official.
It’s often very difficult for individual employees to prevail on claims against a union, and it’s possible that the effort will expose to the public eye facts regarding the basis for Johnson’s suspension. The claims most likely will not provide him with any basis for avoiding the remaining games of his 10-game suspension.
The NFLPA and the NFL declined to comment on the situation.
