Are we entering a new chapter of the CBA negotiations? After the NHL rejected the NHLPA’s latest offer, Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller thinks it’s time for the union to decertify.
“After watching the other sport leagues go through labour disputes last year, it is apparent that until decertification is filed, there will not be any real movement or negotiation,” Miller told The Globe and Mail. “Many things in our negotiation are very consistent with the NFL and NBA negotiations, and both of those leagues filed papers necessary to decertify.
“It seems like the players in any league are going to be subjected to the same scripted labour dispute developed by [NHL and NBA law firm] Proskauer Rose in all collective bargaining discussions now and in the future. Decertification becomes part of the script because Gary Bettman and the owners are trying to get a sense of how far they can push us and at some point we have to say ‘enough.’
“They want to see if we will take a bad deal because we get desperate or if we have the strength to push back. Decertification is a push back and should show we want a negotiation and a fair deal on at least some of our terms.”
The idea is that the players would be able to file an antitrust case against the NHL after the union is dissolved. That could make things far messier or it could be the push necessary to end this lockout.
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