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Former MLB Commissioner gives thumbs-up to Donald Fehr

Donald Fehr

Donald Fehr, executive director of the NHL Players’ Association, speaks to reporters following collective bargaining talks between the NHLPA and the NHL in Toronto on Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2012. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Chris Young)

AP

NHLPA Executive Director Donald Fehr has gotten plenty of grief from the owners and at least one player, but the former commissioner of Major League Baseball gives him, and others in his position, full marks for their work.

Fay Vincent was the MLB leader from 1989-1992 and had to deal with Fehr as he was the head of the MLBPA on the same basis in which NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is facing off against him in now. Vincent wrote in a published piece on recently passed labor leader Marvin Miller, relayed by Larry Brooks of the New York Post, that what they did for their union stands as a shining example for all sports labor.

“Miller and his successors Donald Fehr and Michael Wiener created a union that stands as a model,” Vincent wrote. “Their union is brilliantly led, honestly managed and extremely successful.”

After earlier reports about Fehr misleading the NHLPA turned out to be untrue, it was asserted that the owners were trying to find ways to sour the players on his leadership.

Maybe now it’s just time to negotiate and figure things out rather than try to create a demon out of someone unnecessarily.