Report: NBA players mull dissolving union

NEW YORK, Nov. 3 (UPI) -- A group of NBA players has investigated the possibility of decertifying their union if labor negotiations remain stalled, The New York Times reported Thursday.

The Times said it had learned from player sources that a conference call was held among 50 players and an antitrust attorney on both Tuesday and Thursday to discuss what would be needed to decertify.

The report came as Billy Hunter, executive director of the players' union, was announcing that negotiations with NBA owners would resume Saturday in another bid to save the season.

NBA players have been locked out since July following the expiration of the league's previous collective bargaining agreement and the first month of the 2011-12 season has already been canceled because of the labor impasse.

Decertification of the union would allow players to sue to the league for alleged antitrust violations in a bid to end the lockout. Thirty percent of the union members would have to sign a petition calling for a vote on the matter and 50 percent of the players would then have to approve the proposal. There are more than 400 players currently listed on NBA rosters.

Hunter held a news conference Thursday attempting to deny there was unrest in the union membership and to say that the negotiations would start up again. Hunter said he and NBA Commissioner David Stern had agreed to meet and that the talks might include federal mediator George Cohen.

The union chief said Cohen called him this week and again offered his services in hopes of finding a way to salvage at least a large part of the season. Cohen had dropped out of the talks when they broke down last month and he cannot rejoin the negotiations unless both the players and owners approve his return.

Even with Cohen present, Hunter did not sound optimistic when he announced the resumption of talks.

"I don't know that we're going to accomplish much, but we're going to meet," Hunter said. "The only way we can get a deal is by meeting."

There had been optimism that a deal was within reach last week, but the talks broke off after three days of negotiations in which neither side would budge from its position on how to split the basketball-related income. The owners want a 50-50 split and the players are demanding 53 percent of BRI.

Various reports have said the players have dug in on the 53 percent demand because of the concessions they have made in various sections of the league's governing system.