George Cohen, director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, released a statement on Thursday, his first public comments since he began working with the League and the NFL Players’ Association last week. The current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) will expire on March 3, with the threat of a lockout looming large ahead of next season.
“During the intervening weekend, the parties have been asked by us to assess their current positions,” said Cohen, who confirmed that negotiations would not take place on Friday. “At bottom, some progress was made, but very strong differences remain on the all-important core issues that separate the parties.”
He added: “Our time together has been devoted to establishing an atmosphere conducive to meaningful negotiations and, of course, matters of process and substance. I can report that throughout this extensive period the parties engaged in highly focused, constructive dialogue concerning a host of issues covering both economics and player-related conditions.”
It is thought that the biggest dispute concerns the division of the NFL’s US$9 billion in annual turnover, although a rookie wage scale and a proposed increase of the regular season to 18 games have also been issues.
