NFL players are defending their decision to disband the union, saying employers cannot force workers to unionize, and dissolution is "not akin to turning off a light switch." The players made the statements Monday in a court document filed in response to the NFL's claim that decertification was "a sham." "It is established law that a union can renounce collective bargaining to enable its workers to protect themselves from antitrust violations," lawyers for the players wrote. A hearing on the issue is scheduled for April 6 in St. Paul, Minnesota. The players say prior court decisions have made it clear the right of workers not to unionize is absolute. The players disclaimed their union, gave up the right to strike, to collectively bargain and to have union representation. "The players sacrificed these labor law rights for one reason: to gain the ability to assert antitrust claims against anticompetitive restrictions imposed by defendants," lawyers for the players argued.