The East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) and the Professional Hockey Players’ Association (PHPA) have tentatively settled a labor dispute that led to a player strike.
In Jacksonville, Florida, the news of this provisional agreement came just a day after PHPA members initiated a strike over unresolved labor issues. On Saturday evening, the ECHL took to social media to announce that a preliminary deal for a new collective bargaining agreement had been brokered between the two parties.
The ECHL’s statement emphasized that, “Players will report to their teams in good faith and prepare to return to play, pending ratification and approval.”
However, before the agreement is finalized, it must be ratified by both the ECHL Board of Governors and the PHPA members, as highlighted by the league’s announcement.
The labor dispute reached a boiling point on Friday, December 26, when the deadline to finalize a collective bargaining agreement expired without resolution, prompting the strike. This labor action resulted in the postponement of a game featuring the Jacksonville Icemen.
On Friday, Dec. 26, the time to reach a collective bargaining agreement between the PHPA and the hockey league expired, prompting the strike. As a result, a Jacksonville Icemen game was postponed.
The PHPA negotiations before the strike aimed to address concerns such as player health and working conditions. In a statement on Dec. 22, the union said it had struggled to secure safe player equipment and a weekly day off, pushing them to send the strike notice.
The union previously accused the league of unfair labor practices and undermining the bargaining process, and said it filed at least two complaints with the National Labor Relations Board. PHPA claims the league has had direct communications with players related to bargaining “in an attempt to bully and intimidate players with tactics that violate US labor law.”
Previous First Coast News information contributed to this report.
