By Taking a Stand Against Billionaires, Hockey Players Did Us All a Favor
The NHL’s superrich owners tried to shift the burden of their pandemic-related losses onto players. But the hockey players’ union has successfully faced down their demands, setting an example that should ring out beyond the sports arenas.
In the NHL, owners are testing the waters to see how much more they can claw back from their largest operating expense: athletes’ labor.(Flickr)
On December 8, the National Hockey League (NHL) announced they were working with the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) to finally start a long-delayed season in January 2021. The agreement that confirmed a return to play was ratified on December 20.
The NHL’s resumption has been a pressing question for fans and players alike, but the December 8 announcement buried the most important piece of news: the league is withdrawing its request for players to amend their newly ratified Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) by deferring 13 percent of their salaries through the new season.
Before the August bubble that completed the 2019–20 season began, the NHL and the NHLPA had ratified an extension of the current CBA. The July CBA extension was already amended to include a 10 percent pay deferral for the 2020–21 season and a number of inflation-related increases to salaries and bonuses.
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