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I'm comparing apples to apples, you're comparing criminal law to union contracts.
I'm saying that under the CBA, something like leaving work is already considered part of the agreement. Just like in my job, I can leave work as per the union contract. I won't get paid, but that's my choice.
That doesn't mean I'm not honoring the CBA. I am. The CBA makes provisions for people leaving work. If it didn't, then the Patriots could take drastic action like demanding that Wilfork return the pro-rated portion of his signing bonus.
But the Patriots aren't even allowed to do that. It's not within the Patriots' rights per the CBA. This means that players are protected to a certain extent by a contract they made with the owners that allows them to hold out without the owners' ability to take drastic action against them. Essentially, the owners have a franchise tag (a mechanism that exists in no other field) and the players have holdouts. That's how it's always been in the last several CBAs.
What the CBA has done is anticipate some ways in which players will violate their contracts and placed disciplinary measures down in writing. It's the same as many other aspects of life. You CAN speed. It's physically possible. However, there's a penalty if you get caught, and that penalty is understood in advance. You CAN commit murder. The law doesn't actually prevent it. However, if you get caught, you get punished, unless you're O.J. Simpson or a police officer in a major metropolitan area.
This is no different, no matter how often you claim it is.
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