JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Professional Hockey Players’ Association (PHPA) announced a strike to start on Friday, which could impact the Jacksonville Icemen.
The strike is centered around the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL).
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PHPA said on Tuesday that a strike notice was delivered last week and is set to start on Friday.
The strike comes in response to what the PHPA called ongoing unfair labor practices by the ECHL. These practices, the association said, have undermined the collective bargaining process between the players and the league.
PHPA said the dispute dates back to late spring and early summer when the league made unilateral changes to mandatory bargaining subjects and engaged in regressive negotiations.
The PHPA then filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board to address the league’s conduct and restore good-faith bargaining.
“We have informed the ECHL that we are willing to continue discussions to resolve all outstanding matters. For several months, we have been engaged in bargaining with the league, and their unlawful and coercive conduct throughout this process has been incredibly disappointing,” PHPA Executive Director Brian Ramsay said in a statement. “We are asking for basic standards around health, safety and working conditions that allow the players to remain healthy, compete at a high level and build sustainable professional careers. Our members have never been more united and remain ready to return to the bargaining table at any time. We sincerely hope the ECHL will engage in good-faith negotiations so a fair agreement can be reached and any disruption to the season can be avoided.”
There is no word from the Icemen on whether this will impact Friday’s game against the Orlando Solar Bears.