Courts told 3 cases settled, pending CBA

Published 4:32 am Wednesday, July 27, 2011

By Howard Fendrich, AP Pro Football Writer

The NFL and players already had let the world know they worked out their differences. On Tuesday, they formally gave word of the settlement agreement to a pair of federal judges overseeing three pending court cases.

In separate conference calls Tuesday, lawyers for both sides in pro football’s labor dispute spoke to U.S. District Judges Susan Richard Nelson and David Doty to say they’ve settled, contingent on a new collective bargaining agreement being finished by Aug. 4.

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The leadership of the NFL Players Association voted unanimously Monday to agree to a deal to end the 4½-month lockout. Owners OK’d an agreement last week.

Nelson was the judge in the federal class-action antitrust lawsuit filed by Tom Brady and nine other players March 11, the day that federally mediated negotiations in Washington broke down, allowing the old CBA to expire. The NFLPA said it was dissolving the union and becoming a trade association, which allowed players to sue under antitrust law.

Now, as part of Monday’s deal, the NFLPA will re-establish the union this week.