Collective Action Amongst By High Level NHL Athletes | The Communication Blog

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Collective Action Amongst By High Level NHL Athletes

By Pat Mattheakis


Industrial bargaining is consistently viewed by the ignorant with puzzled eyes, wary and confused by the specifics of collective bargaining. The freshest round of NHL discussions have beckoned people to come out and vehemently share their opinions on the matter, and I typically find myself in the listeners position due to my years of experience in the field of labour relationships. Of note is the Canadian people's appreciation of the whole NHL negotiating debacle, who express an important and significant penchant for events and advancements whilst denigrating or downright ignoring other notable cases of industrial negotiation.

That aside it's tough for individuals to consider that collective bargaining is intended as a forum wherein two parties, management and labour, get together to discuss operating terms and circumstances. It has been deliberately set up so the threat of financial sanctions by one party against the other is a significant motivator for each sides to act responsibly to obtain the best deal possible. In fact, the system appears fairly effective. Something in the order of 98% of collective agreements are renewed without any work disruptions. Government statistics for last year recommend that the general trend of work suspensions is towards a economic downturn. Reports point towards increased responsibility from both parties, as the orchestrating factor in a volatile economic environment.

The NHL lockout is the best. Then again professional athletes and team owners have a tendency to take part in these recessionary times in a different way then you and I do. Regardless, every once and a while the technique dictates there will be industrial action. Its part of the collective bargaining process.

The crux of the matter is just how to divide the essential earnings garnered by the NHL between both parties. Yes the poor fan needs to sacrifice the loss of amusement but overall the impact on the Canadian and U.S. financial system is not important. It's a two party fight plain and very simple. Of specific note, is the irrational idea that many people have regarding the requirement of work stoppages in the advancement of labour negotiations; they are not able to appreciate how instrumental suspended action may be. That is the nature of tough bargaining. It is incredibly Canadian that this dispute leads to a much more emotional reaction than any others.

It's evident in the last stages of bargaining between the league and also the players that the discussion will turn to just how to compensate for the losses both sides have suffered. With lost income nearing the 20% mark of yearly earnings, each the league and athletes can expect to lose a proportional sum. As an essential problem in the entire bargaining process, we foresee a resolution only when both accept the invariable bad implications of disputes. Making up the losses for the lockout likely will take many years. Potentially, the lost funds may fail to become recuperated, especially if the NHL fails to secure future business and interest from fans. The query of its sustainability beckons; the lessons learnt from past lockouts recommend the league thinks negotiation is worth the risk. In this dispute they see fixing the price structure as a means to boost the league further. Will they be proven perfect? We'll see.




About the Author:



The Communication Blog
Bookmark and Share

No comments:

Post a Comment

 

The Communication Blog Copyright © 2009