JUDGE RULES THAT REDSKIN PLAYERS DON'T HAVE TO PAY DUES

     VA Circuit Court Judge Thomas Horne ruled yesterday that the
NFLPA cannot force Redskins players to pay union dues as a
condition of employment.  Horne concluded that the players were
protected under VA's right to work law because they reside in the
state and spend most of their time working at the team's VA
training site.  The NFLPA had argued that the Redskins players
should be covered under DC labor laws and therefore, the players
should be forced to adhere to the DC laws and pay their union
dues.  NFLPA attorney Richard Berthelsen said that the union will
appeal Horne's decision to the VA Supreme Court.  Earlier this
year, the NFLPA appealed a similar case to the U.S. Court of
Appeals for DC (Mark Asher, WASHINGTON POST, 11/9).