Recent Forum Topics › Forums › The Rams Huddle › Rams called on some fancy-dancin in their contract language
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March 12, 2016 at 11:56 am #40499znModerator
NFLPA tells agents to reject “inappropriate” language in Rams contracts
Mike Florio
NFLPA tells agents to reject “inappropriate” language in Rams contracts
The Rams apparently are staying in St. Louis. In one very specific, self-serving way.
Per a league source, contracts being offered to new players state that the laws of Missouri, not California, control the relationship. The NFL Players Association has in turn instructed all certified contract agents to reject that term as “inappropriate.”
Other language in the contract makes the purpose of this strategy clear. The Rams hope to nudge any workers’ compensation claims away from California and into Missouri.
From the contract: “The parties hereto acknowledge that this Player Contract has been negotiated and executed in Missouri; that should any dispute, claim or cause of action (collectively ‘dispute’) arise concerning rights or liabilities arising from the relationship between the Player and the Club, the parties hereto agree that the law governing such dispute shall be the law of the State of Missouri. Furthermore, the exclusive jurisdiction for resolving Workers’ Compensation related claims shall be the Division of Workers’ Compensation of Missouri, and the Missouri Workers’ Compensation Act shall govern.”
The NFLPA strongly disagrees. “We believe that any reference to the state of Missouri is inappropriate since the Rams have relocated to California as evidenced by the fact that they have changed their name on their website to the Los Angeles Rams, are prepared to hold off-season workouts and training camp in California, and will practice and play their home games in California in 2016,” the union says in the memo to all agents.
It’s a gutsy move by the Rams, for a variety of reasons. Apart from trying to keep workers’ compensation claims out of a forum that universally is regarded as grossly pro-employee, the Rams hope to impose burdens on the administrative mechanisms of the state they have now abandoned.
Here’s the bottom line. If you move to California, you accept everything that goes along with it. And if there’s something about it you don’t like, don’t move there.
March 12, 2016 at 12:18 pm #40500canadaramParticipantI don’t pretend to understand such things, but this sounds slimy.
March 12, 2016 at 12:58 pm #40501sdramParticipantI’m gonna go out on a limb and guess that Stan’s lawyers and Stan’s money are somehow involved.
Not sure the Rams have much of a case to keep any future employee contracts associated with MO when they all live and work in CA – at least to my limited and hazy legal knowledge. But Stan’s apparently willing to pay the lawyers to try. Job security – that’s what this is about.
By the way, I’m taking donations to help pay off my personal home mortgage for money I borrowed. I’ll send a personally autographed photo of my home for every 100 dollar donation(once the house is paid off)
March 12, 2016 at 6:19 pm #40507wvParticipantWeaselly. I mean, Demoffy.
And downright Kronky.
w
vMarch 13, 2016 at 7:32 pm #40561InvaderRamModeratori wonder if demoff or kroenke ever feel guilt. or remorse.
March 13, 2016 at 7:49 pm #40567znModeratorRams concede California law will apply to contracts after move is finalized
Mike Florio
Rams concede California law will apply to contracts after move is finalized
The NFL Players Association has taken issue with the apparent effort of the Los Angeles Rams to circumvent the California workers’ compensation system. In response, the Rams concede that, once the move is final, California law will apply regardless of the language of the contract.
Via Rich Hammond of the Orange County Register, the Rams have responded to Saturday’s PFT report regarding the NFLPA’s objection to contractual language selecting Missouri as the forum of choice by admitting that “once the team officially has moved out of Missouri, all of its contracts automatically will fall under California law.” Hammond adds that Rams executives have said the team intends to completely move out of its Missouri headquarters before March 31.
Meanwhile, Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News suggests that the Rams made the contracts subject to Missouri law through the official consummation of the move before the end of March in order to ensure that any players who sign new contracts before the move happens will pay Missouri state income tax, not California state income tax, at a difference of seven percent savings in favor of the player.
If that’s the case, the move actually represents one last gift to the state of Missouri, via the taxes collected on money paid to players while the team is still technically headquartered in the state. If that’s the case, maybe improved communication between the Rams and the NFLPA could have helped this issue from becoming a thing
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