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ridovy June 1, 1973

THE SUMMER DAILY

gae -I9 er


TURF, FINES RULED UPON
NFL, labor board lock horns

WASHINGTON UP) - The Na-
tional L a b o r Relations Board
ruled yesterday that the installa-
tion of artificial turf is a man-
datsry subject for contract bar-
gaining between the National
Football League club owners and
the olayers.
H o w e v e r, the five-member
board unanimously dismissed the
confention of the NFL Players
Association that the NFL Man-
agement Council and its 26 mem-
her clubs violated good faith
bargaining requirements on the
subject in 1971.
The board also said pro foot-
ball commissioner Pete Rozelle
could levy fines against players
for leaving the bench during a
fight on the field.
The board agreed with the rul-
ing of, administrative law judge
Melvin J. Welles who said last
Oct. 27 that artificial turf is a
mandatory subject for collective
bargaining since its installation
does constitute a change in work-
ing- conditions and suggested that
the players take up the owners'
offer to arbitrate its installation.
The panel said the record fails
to show that the owners "evi-
denced a lack of good faith be-
tween Nov. 11 and Dec. 10" be-
cause they had John Thompson,
executive director of the NFL
Management Council, engage in
preliminary discussions, e v e n
though he lacked authority to
reach an agreement.
The evidence did not support
the finding that the NFL's con-
duct amounted to a refusal to
bargain on the matter because
the league has- indicated a will-
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ingness to negotiate on artificial
turf, the board said"
One member, Ralph E. Ken-
nedy, did not vote on the question
of mandatory bargaining because
of the board's finding that the
NFL did not violate good faith
bargaining practices.
On the bench-fine issue, the
board said the football commis-
sioner has always had, and still
has, the authority to impose fines
for conduct detrimental to pro
football, with or without the con-
sent of the owners.
Rozelle p r o p o s e d the rule
change calling for $201 bench-
fines to deter player fights. The
club owners adopted the rule at
the league's annual meeting on
March 25, 1971.
Rozelle fined 106 players for
leaving the bench while fights
were in progress on the playing
field in three 1971 preseason
games.
W e 1 e s, the administrative
judge, had ruled that the fines
were levied illegally and that the
players should have their money
returned with 6 per cent interest.

Since the commissioner had the
authority to impose the rule, the
board said, "and indeed was the
moving force in securing an
adoption of the rule by the own-
ers, we do not perceive any
meaningful or substantial unilate-
ral conduct arising out of the
meeting of the owners."
The board rejected the owners
contention that the NLRB should
not decide the bench-fine issue
but permit Rozelle to arbitrate
the dispute under the league's
non-injury grievance arbitration
procedures.
The board said the commis-
sioner was a central figure in
the proposal of the bench-fine
rule, in investigation of events
leading up to the firies and in
levying them.
"Under these circumstances,
we would be hard pressed to
conclude that the commissioner
is a disinterested party to the
events in dispute. We conclude
that it would not serve the pur-
pose of the Labor Relations Act
to defer our decision in this
case," said the board.

AP Photo
The H is for hitting
The man with the powerful stroke is, Jim Ray Hart of the
Yankees, premier designated hitter in the American League. Hart,
unable to play regularly due to a bad arm and other ailments,
tops the circuit's DH's with a resounding .324 average since
being acquired from San Francisco and oblivian.

Kemper king
Tom Weiskopf watches his Titilist approach the 18th green after
a neat little chip shot in yesterday's first round of the Kemper
Open. Weiskopf held the lead with a fine tour of the links shooting
_ _ _ _ _ _ aseven-under par 65.
PRESENTS
THE GOLD RUS
One of CHARLIE CHAPLIN'S greatest comedies.
TONIGHT-June 1
TOMORROW-THE MALTESE FALCON
8 and 10 P.M. Architecture Auditorium $1.00