As the ongoing NFL labor dispute looms larger, the Browns' locker room now has a strong union participant in new linebacker Scott Fujita.
Scott Fujita says there's reason to believe the NFL can avoid a work stoppage after this season. “With stuff like this, there’s always a lot of posturing from both sides," said the Browns' union representative. "When it comes down to it, I think everyone wants to play football. I think I’m hopeful a deal will get done."CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Browns haven't been a strong union team since the 1970s and '80s.
Even in 1987, the year of the last players' strike, they weakened at the end and sent eight veteran players across the picket line to play in the last replacement game. It helped to dissolve the strike effort.
Since the Browns returned as an expansion franchise in 1999, there hasn't been a hot-button labor issue to test the resolve inside their locker room. But now, after 14 years of labor and management harmony, the threat of another work stoppage -- this time by an ownership lockout -- looms closer.
If the players union and ownership can't negotiate a new bargaining agreement by March, the NFL could very well be without a 2011 season.
The Browns are feeling the pinch of oncoming labor unrest. All five of their restricted free agents -- the unfortunate ones caught in the middle of this labor dispute -- remain unsigned. Four continue to be absent from off-season workouts. Running back Jerome Harrison signed an injury waiver this week to protect him while participating without a contract.
As the labor situation intensifies, it seems new linebacker Scott Fujita arrived as a member of the Browns in the nick of time.
Fujita, who holds a bachelor's degree from California-Berkeley in political science and a master's in education, has been actively involved in the players union for two years.
As the union player rep of his former team, New Orleans, Fujita attended the union election meeting on Maui two years ago that produced lawyer DeMaurice Smith as the successor to the late Gene Upshaw as executive director of the NFL Players Association. Now Fujita is a member of the union's player executive committee. He will be the point man in Cleveland to educate teammates about the union's strategy.
"It's tough to say," Fujita said of the prospect of a 2011 lockout. "With stuff like this, there's always a lot of posturing from both sides. When it comes down to it, I think everyone wants to play football. I think I'm hopeful a deal will get done.
"Is it looking like it might? It's tough to say right now. But I think we're all hopeful. And why ruin a good thing? Football's good. The fans love it, everybody understands that. And we all know what happened to baseball and hockey. Why mess that up?"
But Fujita is not a Pollyanna about the road ahead. He said the proposed expansion of the regular season to 18 games, which will be introduced into CBA talks during upcoming sessions, "is not going to fly" without increased compensation to players.
"If you're going to add some extra games, it incredibly increases the percentage of us getting hurt. So there's got to be some kind of adjusted compensation in that, whatever that may be," he said.
Fujita does not agree with Commissioner Roger Goodell's statements that two extra games will mean additional gross revenue that automatically will filter down to the players.
"I'm not buying that one," he said. "[Owners are] going to get paid more. That much is clear."
Goodell has said owners want to change the system that has worked so well for both sides because the financial risks on ownership has increased as new stadiums have been built, plunging teams into greater debt.
"Here's the argument out there, from an owner standpoint," Fujita said. "They're talking about how they bear 100 percent of the risk. Well, we're the players out there with a 100 percent injury risk. So, if they're willing to bear the financial risk, then we'll take a pay cut but then whatever percentage of pay cut we take, give us that percentage back in ownership of the franchises. We'll take that deal in a heartbeat."
Owners are not going to give ownership to players, of course. So there is a wide divide to cross to reach a settlement.
The RFA problem: The Browns are tied with San Diego for the most unsigned restricted free agents, at five. GM Tom Heckert is on record as saying the club has discussed exercising its right on June 15 to rescind the tender offers and replace them with 10 percent raises over their 2009 salaries. He admits that hardball move would create ill will.
Fujita said he has not had the opportunity to talk with any of the Browns' disgruntled RFAs except linebacker D'Qwell Jackson, who has visited the team facility.
"It's tough to predict those things right now," Fujita said of the situation. "Without having talked to any of them, it's difficult to say. But I definitely can empathize with their situation.
"I know it's frustrating for [them] and for a lot of guys around the league. As far as their contract things they have to work out, I'm not concerned about it. I know they might be feeling a little bit worried about it. I think they'll come back and play football at some point.
"But right now, they have to take their time to figure out what they need to do. They have every right to. All this is voluntary right now and I don't think they're going to fall behind."
Maui wowie: Fujita has attended the union's annual meetings on Maui the past two years. He said he's amazed at how much work is involved as this labor impasse looms.
"I had always heard about union meetings in Maui, and guys go over there and they meet for a few hours and then they golf the rest of the day," he said. "Well, the two years I've been really involved, we're working all day, and once we break meetings and get back, there's a lot of work to be done.
"So right now it's about getting the message out there, getting everybody involved and making sure we can bring it to the locker rooms.
"There's a lot of guys, especially young players right now, who are concerned about the possibility of not earning next season. And you can never make that year up. That's the reality of it, so we have to make sure that guys are being responsible with their money and they understand the issues out there."
Changes: Heckert confirmed that he has let go college area scouts Rich Long and Robert Morris. Both were with the club for eight years. ... Former running back Kevin Mack has moved from the player development department to alumni relations.