Worcester Railers players, rest of ECHL, set to strike on Friday if deal not reached

Players for the Worcester Railers may be trading in their hockey sticks for picket signs on Friday, as the union representing players across the ECHL intends to strike if a new collective bargaining agreement isn’t reached. The Railers, along with the rest of the ECHL, are currently on a holiday break.  Play is scheduled to resume on Friday, with the Worcester Railers set to travel to Portland, Maine to take on the Maine Mariners. The team has home games scheduled for Saturday and Sunday against the Adirondack Thunder. The dispute between the Professional Hockey Players’ Association, which represents players in the ECHL and the American Hockey League, and the league dates back to June, when the previous collective bargaining agreement expired.  Talks of a strike have increased through the course of the season, with the PHPA releasing an open letter to fans earlier in December explaining their side of the situation. “Many players have shared that they feel disrespected, undervalued, and taken for granted,” the letter reads.  Salary levels, player safety, and travel requirements are among the topics of discussion during the CBA negotiations.  “We have informed the ECHL that we are willing to continue discussions to resolve all outstanding matters,” Brian Ramsay, PHPA executive director, said in a statement released Monday. “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. 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.” PHPA has accused the league of unlawful conduct during negotiations, saying the league made unilateral changes to mandatory subjects of bargaining and engaged in regressive negotiations, resulting in PHPA filing an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board. The league said it is taking an approach that balances player support with maintaining a sustainable business model for the league’s franchises. “The ECHL is proud of our teams – and especially the players – who work hard to put a fun, competitive, and entertaining product on the ice and give back to the communities we serve. Our league prides itself on our ability to deliver high-level competition and provide affordable entertainment in our communities – with an average ticket price across the league of approximately $21,” A statement posted to the ECHL website reads. “As we continue to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement with the PHPA, our goal continues to be reaching an agreement that increases player compensation, improves health and safety, and delivers on new initiatives that are responsive to our players to support them on and off the ice.” The league wrote a strike would result in at least some games being postponed. Tim Foley, broadcasting & media relations coordinator for the Railers, declined to comment on the potential strike, writing in an email the team was reserving comment until after a league meeting scheduled for Tuesday to discuss the situation. The ECHL’s offer to players includes a 16.4% increase to this year’s salary cap, to be paid retroactively from the start of the season, as well as mandatory days off, less rigorous travel schedules, and other improvements.  The salary cap for the 2024-25 ECHL season is $15,130 per week for the first 30 days of the season and $14,600 per week for the balance of the season, with a salary floor of $11,100, according to the league’s website.  Rookie players receive a minimum salary of $530 per week, with returning players receiving a minimum salary of $575 per week. The league covers housing costs, along with medical and dental benefits. Eric Casey is the managing editor at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the manufacturing and real estate industries.