NEW YORK - The NBA Players Association has accused the league of unfair labor practices in a complaint filed with the National Labor Relations Board on Tuesday.

The complaint said the league had not bargained in good faith, made inflexible demands and had bypassed the union to deal directly with players.

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It also accused the NBA of "take it or leave it" bargaining intended "to delay action on a renewal CBA (collective bargaining agreement) until the NBA locks out the represented employees (players) in order to coerce them into accepting the NBA's harsh and regressive demands."

The union also sought for an injunction to keep the owners from imposing a lockout, ESPN reported.

The league's current collective bargaining agreement is scheduled to expire on June 30.

"There is no merit to the charge," the league said in a statement. "We have complied and will continue to comply with all of our obligations under the federal labor laws."

The NBA has had just one work stoppage in its 64 years, the 1998-99 lockout that reduced the season to 50 games.

Commissioner David Stern has said the league badly needs to adjust its economic system.

He said the NBA had lost more than $1 billion since the current CBA went into effect in 2005-06.

Stern said in October the league hoped to cut between $750-800 million annually from player salaries and benefits that total $2.1 billion.

The players, however, note the NBA, by its own accounting, had a 2009-10 season of record revenues, which led to bigger player payrolls and the highest ever cap on salaries.