Because those players make up more than half the players in the union, the charge added, the league no longer could negotiate with the union.

The league and the players association have not negotiated since Sept. 9, and no talks are scheduled.

With an eye toward long-term security, the league negotiated a 16-year lease.

The league negotiates player contracts after teams submit a list of players they want.

That lineup raises the question of what would happen if the league and the union actually negotiate a new agreement.

Should the league and the players union fail to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement, a lockout could bench everyone, possibly for a long while.

The union and the league are negotiating because the players rejected an agreement in principle the two sides reached June 21.

The league and the union had been negotiating since September to strengthen the policy.

But had the league negotiated the contracts last week, and not announced them, news would have leaked anyway.

The league is negotiating for a smaller office that will cost about $100,000 less a year in the same building.