NBA Strike Update: Federal Mediator Issues Statement as Talks with NBA Players Association and the League Fall Apart

Negotiations between the NBA league and the NBA Players Association have apparently reached an impasse. After continued efforts to reach solutions agreeable to both parties, mediation has officially come to an end with no agreement reached.

In an effort to come to terms and hopefully save the NBA season, the two sides had engaged the support of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. The FMCS is an independent U.S. government agency whose mission is to preserve and promote labor-management peace and cooperation, created in 1947.

FMCS Director George H. Cohen commented on the conclusion of talks, “As a follow up to the NBA’s and NBA Players Association agreeing to my invitation to conduct negotiations under the auspices of the FMCS, three days of mediation have taken place. During this period, a wide variety of issues were addressed in a professional, thoughtful manner, consistent with what one would expect to take place in a constructive collective bargaining setting.

Regrettably, however, the parties have not achieved an overall agreement, nor have they been able to resolve the strongly held, competing positions that separated them on core issues.

In these circumstances, after carefully reviewing all of the events that have transpired, it is the considered judgment of myself and Deputy Director Scot Beckenbaugh, who has been engaged with me throughout this process, that no useful purpose would be served by requesting the parties to continue the mediation process at this time. For our part, the Agency has advised the parties that we will be willing and prepared to continue to facilitate any future discussions upon their mutual request.”