In light of what appears to be a complete victory for their side, the NFL Players Association released an official statement after a federal judge threw out the original four-game suspension of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in a ruling on Thursday.
DeMaurice Smith, the union's executive director, called for a more cooperative approach between labor and management on matters of discipline in the future.
"The rights of Tom Brady and of all NFL players under the collective bargaining agreement were affirmed today by a Federal Judge in a court of the NFL's choosing. We thank Judge Berman for his time, careful consideration of the issue, and fair and just result," Smith said.
"This decision should prove, once and for all, that our Collective Bargaining Agreement does not grant this Commissioner the authority to be unfair, arbitrary, and misleading. While the CBA grants the person who occupies the position of the Commissioner the ability to judiciously and fairly exercise the designated power of that position, the union did not agree to attempts to unfairly, illegally exercise that power, contrary to what the NFL has repeatedly and wrongfully claimed.
"We are happy for the victory of the rule of law for our players and our fans. This court's decision to overturn the NFL Commissioner again should signal to every NFL owner that collective bargaining is better than legal losses. Collective bargaining is a much better process that will lead to far better results."
The process by which Goodell suspended Brady originally was, in fact, an agreed upon deliberation as dictated by the collective bargaining agreement between the union and the NFL.
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