Friday’s Bloomington Bison game has been postponed as the ECHL prepares for an imminent strike by its hockey players over unresolved contract negotiations.
The ECHL said Friday it’s made its “last, best, and final offer” to the Professional Hockey Players’ Association [PHPA], which represents Bison players and others in the ECHL.
“While we did not receive a formal response, we have heard from certain players that they will not be reporting for their scheduled games. We strongly encouraged union leadership to submit our offer to a vote of its membership, but we do not believe that happened,” the ECHL said.
The Bison said on social media that Friday’s road game at Iowa had been postponed. The Bison’s next scheduled home games are Saturday and Sunday, also against Iowa.
"In the interim, our front office is working to bring in new players so that our team can return to the ice as soon as possible," the Bison said in an email sent to season-ticket holders.
As of midday Friday, the PHPA had not formally announced the start of a strike. But the union previously gave a strike notice that said the work stoppage would begin Friday. The ECHL said players would lose "would stop getting paid, and lose housing and medical benefits" if they went on strike.
The PHPA said in November it was “far apart” from the ECHL on several issues, including mandatory rest periods, wages, and how players are compensated for corporate and auction-related events. The PHPA said these “fundamental issues ... speak to fairness, respect, and the sustainability of professional hockey at this level.”
The ECHL on Friday laid out details of its “last, best, and final offer” to the players. The ECHL said that includes a 19.8% increase to the salary cap for this season, and a 27% salary increase in future years of a contract. The league also said it’s willing to increase per diems (reimbursements for meals while traveling) to $60 per day this year, up from $53, as well as future increases.
One major sticking point appears to be mandatory rest periods and players’ schedules.
“The league shows no concern or regard for players' travel schedule and has said that the nine-hour bus trip home should be considered our day off,” the PHPA said in a Dec. 21 letter to fans. “Until a few days ago, the league was not prepared to give us a day off per week, and they refused to negotiate a meaningful holiday break that allows players to be home with our families, which would be consistent with professional hockey in North America.”
The ECHL on Friday called for the players to drop their “unworkable scheduling demands.” The league said it’s willing to introduce stricter requirements for mandated days off every week, reduce the mileage limits for travel between back-to-back games, and modify in-season breaks.
“ECHL bylaws dictate that no teams can be within 100 miles of another club, which creates some scheduling challenges, but we have offered to address this in the new [collective bargaining agreement],” the ECHL said Friday.
Alleged labor violations
The PHPA alleges that the ECHL “sent at least two direct communications to players through team management regarding bargaining-related matters, in an attempt to bully and intimidate players with tactics that violate U.S. labor law.” The union says it’s filed multiple unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board.
The ECHL said its communication with players “has been appropriate and lawful” and that “we have a right to make sure that our players have and understand the specifics of our proposals and what has happened at the bargaining table.”
The ECHL said every communication "with the PHPA, our players, and teams" is "publicly available." WGLT has requested a copy of all communications with players about contract negotiations over the past week.
The Bison, affiliated with the NHL’s New York Rangers, are 13-9 in their second season at the city-owned Grossinger Motors Arena.
ECHL players previously went on strike in 2003, though that was during the offseason.
