NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL Players Association filed a grievance with the league challenging its national anthem policy.
The union says that the new policy, which the league imposed without consultation with the NFLPA, is inconsistent with the collective bargaining agreement and infringes on players’ rights.
In May, the NFL approved its national anthem policy at its owners meetings in Atlanta. The policy allows players to protest during the national anthem by staying in the locker room, but forbids them from sitting or taking a knee if they’re on the field or the sidelines.
When the league announced the policy, Commissioner Roger Goodell called it a compromise aimed at putting the focus back on football after a tumultuous year in which television ratings dipped nearly 10 percent; some blamed the protests for such a drop. The union said at that time that it would file a grievance against any change in the collective bargaining agreement.
The union said Tuesday it has proposed having its executive committee talking to the NFL instead of proceeding with litigation. The union said the NFL has agreed to those discussions.
The NFL did not immediately comment about the union’s action.
Glad to see this move by the players’ union. The whole point of kneeling is to make a peaceful VISIBLE protest.
It’s going to be an interesting summer leading up to November.
Let the games begin!
This is why unions are good. They are going through the grievance which will force the owners to acknowledge what they did/didn’t do. It allows for the parties to come to a mutual understanding that serves both sides of the issue. If the owners stonewall, then it can play through the arbitration process and possibly the courts. Process is important.
Personally, I’d never stop laughing if BOTH teams took a knee during the national anthem and DARED the NFL to do anything about it,.
Pitiful.
Could the owners be more cowardly?
The fear of dissent is everywhere — and that in itself says a lot.