Negotiating on Thin Ice Essay Example

who just want to play the game. The collective bargaining agreement should be reach not for the two participants at the table not for them but for the fans who support both the players and the owners. Barriers The barriers between the two parties’ are money. The NHL believed the players’ salaries were excessively high for the revenue the owners were earning. The NHLPA believed that the owners were not transparent in stating their entire revenues the organization made. The two negotiators representing each side may had not have had the best interest of the players and owners as a focal point.

Battman and Goodenow Gary Bruce Bettman is the commissioner of the NHL, a post he has held since February 1, 1993. Previously, Bettman was a senior vice-president and general counsel to the National Basketball Association (NBA). Bettman is a graduate of Cornell University and New York University School of Law. In his tenure, Bettman increase NHL brand throughout the nation by introduce the league to national televison Robert W. "Bob" Goodenow is an American manager, who became the Executive Director of the National Hockey League Players Association in 1992, succeeding the controversial Alan Eagleson.

On July 28, 2005. Goodenow announced his resignation as Executive Director, with Ted Saskin being named his replacement. Goodenow graduated from Harvard University in 1974 and from the University of Detroit Law School in 1979 (Opentopia, 2005). In his tenure as NHLPA chief, he oversaw significant increases in player salaries in the span of a decade (Opentopia, 2005). However, Goodenow's tactics have come under fire because of his focus on raising player salaries without regard to certain NHL teams who started

to experience serious financial difficulties

Battman and Goodenow should be the two people to continue to assist in prevailing over any barriers that have not been resolved. When these two power players join the organization they had a long list of accomplishment to their credit. Including the two negotiation disputes, which lead to the 10-day strike on the eve of the Stanley Cup playoffs and oversaw a 103-day lockout that lasted from October 1, 1994 to January 11, 1995. However, how could two major power players go so far off course to cause the 2004-2005 season to be cancel. Bettman power sources are legitimate, coercive, and, referent because he represent the owner of the NHL.

The major power move by Bettman was to call the lockout for the 2004-2005 seasons. Goodenow power sources are legitimate, expert, coercive, and referent. Goodenow represent the players and his major power move was to reject the independent audit by Arthur Levitt Jr. Who was at one time the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission. The powers that limit both opponents in the negotiation were the influence and the toll the lock out began to have on the owners and the players. They did not truly have the interest of their parties as the focal point of the negotiation.

This became a battle of who would be the person with total power to prevail in the situation. The "best alternative to a negotiated agreement. "(BATNA) are critical to negotiation because you cannot make a wise decision about whether to accept a negotiated agreement unless you know what your alternatives are (Spangler, 2003). The BATNA for each side is not clear in this

report. However, what is known is that Battman final offer was $42. 5 million salary cap with a “take it or leave it” offer. Goodenow made a counter offer of $49 million salary cap for the players.

On February 16, 2005 Bettman officially, cancel the season for 2004-2005. The stalemates of the negotiation left the NHL and the NHLPA both in a lose-lose situation. Wondering how would they attempt to set up renegotiation for the next NHL season. As both sides began to assess their options. They agree to add more people to the negotiation to have a true voice of the owner and players demands to reach an agreement through the CBA. In July both party reach an agreement to settle the dispute between them because of the threat of losing a large portion of the NHL fan base.

The sides most important provision of the new collective bargaining agreement is an overall salary cap for all NHL teams, tied to league revenues. The agreement also phases in a reduced age for free agency, which will eventually give players unrestricted rights to negotiate with any team at age 27 or after seven years of play in the NHL, whichever comes first. This agreement is better for the player because it the player are link to the total revenue the owner have which are parking, concession, tickets sales, and they can brand hemselves.

Therefore the cancellation proved to be beneficial to the players. In addition, the agreement proved to create a win-win situation for the owner too. Distributive bargaining is the approach to bargaining or negotiation that is used when the parties are trying to divide something up--distribute

something . Integrative bargaining, then, can be broadly defined as a negotiating process in which the parties involved strive to integrate their interests as effectively as possible in the final agreement.

I think that distributive bargaining was use to handle the dispute for owners and the players. Finally, I think that this matter could have been avoided if Battman and Goodenow collaborated with more people at the table to assist them to stay focus on the bigger picture. Thus, giving the player the opportunity play in the 2004-2005 NHL season. The power players Battman and Goodenow let their power and influence overtake them at the table and not sound rationale.