The conditions under which these former farmers had to work were unbearable. The farmer got tired of the treatment and banded to together. Labor unions sprouted in the US around the 1830's; however, the first major group was the Knights of Labor that organized in 1869 (Labor). .
Within the last six years, there has been much discussion about the National Basketball Association and the labor agreement lockout that happened a few years ago. The details are tedious, but the overall discrepancy looms over how much the players are worth and how much the owners should pay them. In the summer of 1995, the owners opened the collective bargaining agreement. Their fear is that the players are receiving too much of the BRI, or basketball related income. In 1988 the collective bargaining agreement allotted the players forty-eight percent of BRI, they earned fifty-two percent. The owners, not happy with these figures, locked the players out until a better contract was agreed upon. The players, eager to play and start the season, accepted a six-year deal that stated:.
The average salary will increase from $1.7 million to $3 million over six years. .
The minimum salary will increase from $150,000 to $225,000 next season and will increase by ten percent each season thereafter.
The creation of a $1 million exception for those teams exceeding the salary cap. .
The retention of the Larry Bird exception, which states that players completing two seasons with a team can re-sign with that team for any amount regardless of the salary cap.
The elimination of the luxury tax.
The players shall be allocated forty-eight percent of BRI and the owners have the option of opening the agreement if it reaches over fifty-one point eight percent.
Sixty-three percent of the ninety percent of the player's union who were present at the meeting voted for this agreement. .
Two members of the player's union, union lawyer Jeffrey Kessler and Michael Jordan, foresaw the problems of this agreement.