ECHL postpones 13 games after players go on strike

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The ECHL postponed 13 games Friday after players went on strike, causing a work stoppage in the North American development minor hockey league two tiers below the NHL.

The Professional Hockey Players’ Association announced it “commenced job action” and cited travel for back-to-back games, a holiday break, guaranteed contracts, health benefits during the offseason and player compensation as unresolved issues in talks on a new collective bargaining agreement.

“Our members are simply seeking reasonable improvements that allow them to work safely and earn a sustainable living while continuing to perform at a high level,” executive director Brian Ramsay said. “Despite the union’s repeated efforts to meet and engage in bargaining, the league has continued to communicate directly with players in a manner that bypasses the union’s role as the exclusive bargaining representative.”

Members of the PHPA voted last week to authorize its negotiating committee to call for a strike. The league and union have been engaged in collective bargaining since January.

“Unfortunately, union leaders deprived players of the opportunity to vote on our last, best, and final offer," the ECHL said in a statement, adding it would raise player salaries 20% in the first year, increase per diems, guarantee more off days and expand equipment made available to players. "We did everything possible to avoid this outcome and hope that the union leadership will drop its unworkable scheduling demands, let the players vote on our offer and make it possible for players to return to work.”

The league said its latest offer ups the salary cap by 19.8%, an increase from the 16.4% from the proposal posted to its website Monday.

“The ECHL made clear to union leadership that this was the best offer and that any future offers likely will need to account for losses in revenue attributable to missed games from a player strike,” the league said in a statement. “While we did not receive a formal response, we have heard from certain players that they will not be reporting for their scheduled games.”

The ECHL has 30 teams, 29 of which are in the U.S. and one in Canada in Trois-Rivières, Quebec.

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