WASHINGTON, March 7 (UPI) -- NFL team owners and players began talking again Monday in hopes of hammering out a collective bargaining agreement under an extended deadline.
The two sides agreed to push back last Thursday's deadline to replace the expiring contract until this coming Friday. Negotiators from each side plan to meet every day this week in the Washington office of federal mediator George H. Cohen, the NFL Network reported.
The New York Giants' John Mara was the only owner present, while National Football League Players Association leaders Charlie Batch, Jeff Saturday, Mike Vrabel, Domonique Foxworth and Tony Richardson also participated.
Reports indicated major differences still remain on how to divide the league's $9.3 billion of total revenues with the potential for a training camp lockout still looming large.
Citing sources, the NFL Network reported players pulled back from a plan to legally decertify the union when the old deadline struck, relenting at the last minute and allowing negotiations to continue for another week.
Decertification would have allowed the NFLPA to sue the league under antitrust laws to prevent a lockout.
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Post je objavljen 08.03.2011. u 02:05 sati.