EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The NFL Players Association filed a grievance on Tuesday challenging the suspension and fine given to Plaxico Burress by the New York Giants after the receiver accidentally shot himself in a nightclub more than a week ago.
The union said that the Giants violated the collective bargaining agreement last week when it placed Burress on the reserve-non football injury list, suspended him for the final four games of the regular season and fined him an additional week's salary for conduct detrimental to the team.
Placing Burress on the non-football injury list also will keep him out of the playoffs. The Giants won the NFC East title on Sunday.
Union spokesman Carl Francis said the grievance will be heard by an arbitrator after the season ends.
Under the contract that Burress signed in September, the Giants owe the Super Bowl hero a $1 million portion of his signing bonus on Wednesday. Team spokesman Pat Hanlon had no comment when asked if the money would be paid.
Francis said the union would consider another grievance if the Giants withheld the payment.
Agent Drew Rosenhaus did not return either an e-mail or a telephone call left by The Associated Press seeking comment.
The union filed another grievance on Burress' behalf earlier this year after the Giants suspended him for a game and fined him two weeks pay for missing a team meeting in September.
The two sides eventually agreed to cut the fine in half, saving Burress about one game's pay -- more than $200,000.
The latest action against Burress was last Tuesday, just a day after the 31-year-old was booked and arraigned on charges of criminal possession of a weapon relating to the shooting in New York on Nov. 29.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
