At this point in time, I’m disgusted with the state of the NHL and NHLPA’s bargaining techniques. I decided to write a letter to the NHLPA outlining some suggestions to them while still trying to be respectful of their stance.
“To Whom it May Concern:
I am a university student here in Vancouver, and almost everyone in this city wants hockey to be back soon. I do not really have a preference for either side in this “bargaining” process which so far has not involved any true bargaining. I intend to send an email to the NHL as well concerning their stance in these negotiations.
In terms of the NHLPA’s stance, I believe that your union has not negotiated fairly with the NHL. The NHLPA knew of the NHL’s stance before it made its “salary rollback” proposal, and the deal that was proposed by the NHLPA did not fairly address any of the issues that the NHL raised, apart from the entrance-level salaries. It is my opinion that this proposal was grandstanding on the part of the NHLPA, i.e. an attempt to garner more public support.
However, I ask you this: Why does the NHLPA not hold a private ballot vote on the NHL’s proposal so that the true nature of the union is expressed in this bargaining process?. By standing behind Goodenow as the all-powerful and seemingly all-controlling leader of the PA, it is very unclear to the public as to whether Goodenow is acting on behalf of all the players of the NHLPA, or simply a select few. Private ballot voting on proposals from the NHL would clear up this public confusion considerably, and I hope that your union uses some form of voting on proposals in the future, rather than simply standing behind your puppet leader, Goodenow.
Also, I would like to remind you of the world in which we live in. There are billions of very very poor people in the world, and the players in your union have been blessed by large salaries. The recent events in southeast Asia have shown us, once again, that dollars and cents are not the most important things in life. By bickering over how many millions of dollars you should get paid, the PA is not respectful of the world at all. If the members and leadership of the NHLPA had any sense of decency, they would understand that they are lucky to be making the kind of money they are, and they should be more grateful for what the NHL offers hockey players in general: a place where they can enjoy the game they love and make a good living while doing it. By refusing to negotiate a system with the NHL that would involve cost certainty, you are disrespecting millions of people with your selfish and monetarily driven ways.
As I stated earlier, I will also be writing to the NHL, because I am not siding with either side of these “negotiations”. Please retain these thoughts: the NHLPA should hold private votes on issues, and the NHLPA should be more mindful of the world in which we live in, and be less monetarily driven.
Thank you for your time and patience, and I hope that the NHLPA and the NHL can reach a sensible deal sometime in the near future.”
Who knows. Maybe this letter will make a difference.