CFL players nix contract ratification

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/05/2022 (1205 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Right when it looked as though it was smooth sailing for the Canadian Football League, they entered uncharted waters on Monday, leaving the 2022 season in danger of starting on time – or at all.

Just days after returning to the field for training camp following a four-day player strike – the first CFL labour strike since 1974 – the league has once again been left in limbo. A new tentative collective bargaining agreement – one endorsed by the CFL and the executive of the CFL Players’ Association but required ratification by both sides – was shot down by the players in a vote on Sunday.

As it currently stands, there is no working CBA in place.

“A settlement offer that you have considered has been rejected,” the CFLPA told its membership in a letter obtained by the Free Press. “We are actively discussing with your player reps this evening, and you will receive a communication shortly.”

A meeting with the CFLPA membership was scheduled for late Monday. Next steps include either players immediately striking or threatening a strike at the start of the season in early June. The CFL could also choose to lock out the players.

It appears negotiations between the two sides will resume, with the players expected to hit the field Tuesday for the continuation of training camp. The Blue Bombers have released their schedule, with their workout beginning at 9:30 a.m. and open to the public.

One source told the Free Press that it’s a “day-to-day situation.” The CFL has already had to postpone the Bombers and Saskatchewan Roughriders preseason game in Regina this past Monday. It’s unclear if any more games will be postponed or cancelled while they work on a new agreement. The Bombers are set to host the Edmonton Elks in a pre-season game at IG Field Friday night, with their second and final preseason game against the Roughriders scheduled in Regina on May 31.

The biggest issue with the latest CBA appears to be mainly around the Canadian ratio. In the agreement, teams were permitted to have eight Canadian starters, with one of those spots given to a “naturalized” Canadian – an American with three years consecutive service with their team or five years in the league.

The agreement, which was for seven years, also stated teams could have up to three more “naturalized” Canadians play up to 49 per cent of snaps in a game. The change in the ratio rule, which used to be seven Canadian starters and no “naturalized” Canadian, was to take effect in 2023.

Many Canadians across the league expressed their displeasure this past week with the new rule change, suggesting it was an attack on Canadian-born players and threatening to vote against it. Despite the brewing frustration, it was believed the CBA would pass because the players had made advances in key issues such as revenue sharing, increases in the salary cap and improved health and safety portections.

There’s already a division between Canadian and American players over the advantages given to Canadians; how this will affect morale in the locker room, only time will tell.

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jeffkhamilton

Jeff Hamilton
Multimedia producer

Jeff Hamilton is a sports and investigative reporter. Jeff joined the Free Press newsroom in April 2015, and has been covering the local sports scene since graduating from Carleton University’s journalism program in 2012. Read more about Jeff.

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