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NFLPA strike, 17 Nov 1982

Tentative agreement reached; NFL to resume play Sunday with nine-week abbreviated season NEW YORK (AP) - The strike is over. The National Football League will return Sunday. The NFL players' union and owners reached an agreement through collective bargaining Tuesday, an agreement which has not been ratified by the players yet but which will allow play to resume Sunday. "We concluded," union chief Ed Garvey conceded, "it was better to get on the season and fight some of the fights later." The union's executive committee voted to pass along the owners' offer to the 28. player representatives. The player reps then voted to accept it and pass it along to the 1,500 players, but without recommendation. Training camps opened today. "They know it has been accepted by a majority of the reps and we felt it better not to prejudice their decision but to let them make their own decision on this major point in their lives," said Stan White of the Detroit Lions, a member of the union's executive committee. The strike, which lasted 57 days and cost owners and players upwards of $275 million in lost revenues, and wages, was the longest and most expensive in sports history, seven days longer and $125 million more expensive than baseball's strike last summer. The result of the NFL strike is the shortest season in the league's history, nine games. It took World War Il for the league to cut its schedule to 10 games in the 1940s. And in the wake of the strike is the biggest playoff field, 16 of the 28 teams going beyond the regular season for a berth in Super Bowl XVII next Jan. 30. Two weekends of games were played before the silence de-' scended last Sept. 21. Six remain, plus one weekend to be made up from the eight that were blitzed out of autumn. Then eight teams from each conference will enter. the playoffs. over," it appears that most of the battles remaining will be fought Packers between hashmarks and goalposts for pieces of turf and not over conference tables for pertake on that. centages of this or millions of Almost lost in the avalanche of Vikings numbers severance - pay the and union's bonuses winning and, of course, a wage scale is a GREEN BAY (AP) - provision that permits the union The Green Bay Packers, to act as the sole 2-0, resume their season agent for all players but rookies. bargaining Sunday in Milwaukee when "It was a major, major step they meet the Minnesota forward," Garvey said of that Vikings at County Stadium provision. "It was one of the keys in a noon contest. to the settlement. This is as imThe Vikings are 1-1. The portant to us as the draft is to the to two teams Oct. were 24, but scheduled that league." game play was called off in the The draft will continue through middle of the NFL strike, with the rest of the expiring, along in 1992 instead of which appeared to come to 1986. And, if the league chooses, it agreement, an end Tuesday. will be moved from the last days The Packers opened their of April to the first day of Februseason with victories over Los Angeles and the New ary. And the United States Football York Giants, the latter on League, which has yet to have a Monday night which was the a strike or a last game to played called agreement, may find itself on the NFL be game, bargaining before the strike was outside looking in while on "The Tuesday, Sept. schedule 21. players flock 'to the NFL, where college Packers the remainder of regular season the money will flow more freely. Minnesota is Nov. The contract is worth about $1.6 following billion over five years, $1.28 28 at the New York Jets, billion for 1983-86 plus $60 million Dec. 5 against in 1 one-shot bonuses and about Buffalo in. Detroit in Green Bay, Dec. $240 million in previously negoMilwaukee, Dec. 12 against 19 in Baltimore and Dec. 26 tiated salaries this year. at Atlanta. During the strike, the thing we "Obviously, wanted," it said wasn't Jeff. every- Van Packers missed games against Miami, Philadel- Note of the Atlanta Falcons, phia, two with Chicago, two another member of the union's with Tampa Bay, Detroit executive committee. "There and Minnesota. were some good things but it got to the point where the season was in jeopardy. I think all the players There are, of course, for- wanted to get back to work and it malities: The 28 club owners looks like we made the best must ratify the agreement today; possible deal." the striking players must do the The deal was helped along by same by secret ballot next Tues- informal mediator Paul Martha, day. And despite Garvey's warn- a former player and now Piting that "We are not out of the tsburgh lawyer and sports exwoods yet. This thing is not yet ecutive, and by Dan Rooney.

Article from 17 Nov 1982Leader-Telegram(Eau Claire, WI)

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