PHOTO VIA ECHL FACEBOOK PAGE
5:32 p.m. UPDATE: ECHL has shared the following statement.
“Our focus remains on reaching an agreement that increases player compensation, improves health and safety, and ensures we continue to put a competitive, fun, and sustainable product on the ice. This is why we’ve offered to increase player salaries by 27% over a five-year term, including a 16.4% increase in the first year, boost the per-diem rate, guarantee more off days, and invest in specific player equipment. Unfortunately, a strike would hurt everyone, including both the fans and the players themselves, who would stop getting paid, and lose housing and medical benefits – something we all want to avoid. We believe the players would much prefer to continue playing and supporting the fans and communities we serve while we work through negotiations.”
The Professional Hockey Players’ Association announced on Monday that its members (which includes the Orlando Solar Bears) in the ECHL have served a strike notice effective December 26, escalating an ongoing labor dispute with the league. The union stated that the decision follows what it describes as continued unfair labor practices by the ECHL and its inability to secure a new collective bargaining agreement.
The strike notice does not automatically mean games will stop on December 26, but it gives players the legal ability to withhold their services if negotiations do not improve. If a strike were to occur, it could lead to postponed or canceled games across the league, disrupting the remainder of the regular season and potentially affecting playoff schedules.
A work stoppage could mean missed home games for ECHL members, Orlando Solar Bears (Website), during a critical stretch of the season, including the holiday period when attendance is typically strong. We’ve reached out to Orlando Solar Bears management for a statement, but have not received a response at the time of this post.
The PHPA represents players in the ECHL as well as other professional hockey leagues and has been in negotiations with the ECHL over a new labor agreement. ECHL says they have been trying to secure “a new collective agreement due to the league’s ongoing unfair labor practices, which have undermined the bargaining process.”
“Over the course of negotiations, the league has resisted basic player safety and working condition issues. It has taken almost a year to persuade the league that we should be entitled to choose helmets that properly fit us. We still have clubs supplying members with used equipment. The league shows no concern or regard for players’ travel schedule and has said that the nine-hour bus trip home should be considered our day off. Until a few days ago, the league was not prepared to give us a day off per week, and they refused to negotiate a meaningful holiday break that allows players to be home with our families, which would be consistent with professional hockey in North America.”
As of now, the ECHL has not announced changes to its schedule, and teams are continuing to operate as normal while talks continue. The situation remains fluid, and the coming days will be critical in determining whether a strike is avoided or if the season faces significant disruption, including for the Solar Bears and their fans in Orlando.
