This came across the UPI news this morning. If people are interested, I will send any more definite news later on. > > CHICAGO (UPI) -- NHL owners, ``unified like never before,'' voted > unanimously Sunday to hold steady on their so-called last contract offer > to the players, setting the stage for the first strike in the league's > 75-year history to begin Monday afternoon. > The NHL Board of Governors, many of whom had negotiated with the > players' union until dawn in Toronto before flying to Chicago to meet > privately, emerged from a six-hour meeting apparently prepared for a > work stoppage. > Quebec Nordiques president Marcel Aubut labled the owners ``unified > like never before.'' > No further talks were scheduled before the Monday noon EST strike > deadline set by the NHL Players' Association A conference call involving > all team player representatives is planned for Monday morning at 8 a.m. > EST. The committee will review the owners' last offer and determine a > course of action. > NHLPA Executive Director Bob Goodenow maintain the players also stand > united. > NHL President John Ziegler said the owners negotiating committee > simply reported to the rest of the Board of Governors the status of the > last five days of talks with the NHLPA before the owners voted to stand > by their last proposal, apparently rejected by the players. > Marathon talks between the owners committee and union broke off at > 5:30 a.m. EST Sunday without a new collective bargaining agreement, > although the two sides appeared closer. The owners presented what they > called their ``last offer,'' and the players countered with another > offer. Those two different proposals apparently remain on the table, > although Goodenow, in a statement issued Sunday night, expressed > frustration at the stalemate and claimed the players' counter-proposal > had been rejected. > ``Members of the NHLPA negotiating committee consulted extensively > this past week with the team player reps and players,'' Goodenow said. > ``The PA committee made a proposal early Sunday morning which we know > addressed the League's economic concerns. I'm at a loss as to why this > proposal was rejected. > ``It should be noted by everyone that the NHL Players Association has > worked hard to get an agreement and avoid a strike,'' Goodenow > continued. ``But the owners' rejection of our last proposal and their > resubmission of an offer which we counter-proposed is evidence that the > owners want to assert demands on the players which they are unwilling to > accept.'' > ``It's hard for some players on the negotiations committee to believe > that some members of the owners committee really in fact want to reach > an agreement,'' Goodenow added. > The owners committee scheduled no further meetings and declined to > say if the players' counter-proposal has been rejected. The owners' > rhetoric was confined to their own original offer to the players, as > though they were simply ignoring the union's counter proposal. > ``There's nothing more for us (the owners negotiating committee) to > meet about right now,'' Ziegler said. ``We've give the players our > proposal. We're hopeful they're considering it. ... When we broke up > (early Sunday morning), we had a proposal that was comprehensive. They > had a proposal that was comprehensive. They were in some places close > together, in some places they were in agreement, and in some places they > were far apart.'' > ``If the players want to strike, that's their choice,'' Ziegler said. > ``There's a substantial offer, a substantial improvement.'' > The NHLPA's strike deadline of noon EST Monday comes nine days before > the scheduled start of the Stanley Cup playoffs. No games are scheduled > for Monday, so the earliest any games would be affected would be Tuesday > night. Sunday's games went on as planned. > The players have been without a collective bargaining areement since > Sept. 15. The major issues have been the players' demands of a less > restrictive free-agency system, fairer salary arbitration and more money > for pensions and postseason awards. > A strike for the playoffs would come at a time when the owners make > 13 percent of their revenue. Ziegler had asked the owners to look into > the availability of their arenas if there is a need to push back the > playoffs but he again refused comment on whether the owners discussed > contigency plans such as fielding replacement players. > ``We talked about all the things that might happen in a strike,'' > Ziegler said. ``... I don't think it's appropriate to discuss what might > happen in the event of a strike because it is my desire, my earnest hope > that doesn't take place. If further discussions can help, I am ready, > willing and able to travel any where, any place to see that our season > is not interrupted.'' > Ziegler again refused to give specifics of the issues under > negotiation or the major sticking points. > A major obstacle had been the discrepancy over how much the league > stands to make or lose this season. Ziegler has said the NHL will lose > $9 million in 1991-92, while the NHLPA said the league stands to make > $24 million. > The NHLPA set the strike deadline on March 20, and the daily > negotiations between the sides began in Toronto on Tuesday. Meetings > lasted 4 1/2 hours on Tuesday, 10 hours Wednesday, 11 hours Thursday, 16 > hours Friday and 19 more Saturday. > > -- Dave [log in to unmask] Cornell '91 OSU Med '95 Let's Go Red!