Before the players could send their letter inviting the league to submit to mediation under the ultimate supervision of Judge Susan Nelson, the league has sent a letter to the players urging resumed collective bargaining before George Cohen (pictured).
Mark Maske of the Washington Post reports that the league’s letter leaves open the possibility of resuming mediation with the decertification of the NFLPA remaining in place. It’s a minor concession that the league could have made weeks ago. Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy acknowledged on PFT Live only days after the talks broke down on March 11 that it would be a simple process to protect the legal rights of the decertified union.
The offer from the league indicates that owners would be involved in the talks, and that the goal would be to resolve “all outstanding issues.” However, Maske says that its doesn’t “initially appear” that the players will agree to resumed mediation before George Cohen.
So, basically, one side continues to speak French while the other side is speaking German at a time when both sides need to find a way to get back to English.
It’s enough to make me mutter Italian curse words.