http://www.sportsnet.ca/football/cfl/cflpa-preparing-for-potential-labour-stoppage/

 

"Believing they have reached an impasse after four months of negotiations with the Canadian Football League, the CFL Players’ Association is recommending its membership proceed with a strike vote, Sportsnet has learned.

The collective bargaining agreement between the league and players expires May 30, on the eve of training camp. And while both sides are scheduled to meet this Thursday and Friday in Toronto, documents obtained by Sportsnet indicate the union is readying itself for a potential labour stoppage.

“It is the position of your Negotiating Committee that the position of the CFL in relation to almost all matters and their refusal to have the cap in some way connected to revenue are unreasonable,” reads an internal memo written by CFLPA President Scott Flory and distributed to all CFL players last Friday. “As a result, we are recommending that the Players proceed with a strike vote.”

Flory, who did not immediately respond to Sportsnet’s request for comment, has previously stated that the union will not play the 2014 season under terms of the expiring CBA, while both sides negotiate.

Sources told Sportsnet that when the two sides broke on May 2, the league, which declined comment for this story, said it would return this week with further input from governors/owners on making progress toward a new economic model.

Since talks began in February, the CFLPA has been steadfast in its pursuit of revenue sharing, something that wasn’t included in the 2010 deal but has existed between the league and the CFLPA in the past. The league’s negotiation committee has not budged from its stance of having a fixed cap.

At the centre of the debate is a new television deal, reportedly worth $40 million this coming season. The current deal is worth $15.3 million.

Last season’s salary cap was $4.4 million and proposals obtained by Sportsnet show the CFL has offered the following when it comes to player compensation:

2014 – $4,500,000.00
2015 – $4,600,000.00
2016 – $4,650,000.00
2017 – $4,700,000.00
2018 – $4,750,000.00
2019 – $4,800,000.00
2020 – $4,900,000.00
2021 – $5,000,000.00

There are several other points of contention. The CFLPA has proposed a minimum annual player salary of $55,000—with a 10 percent increase annually. The league countered with a $46,000 minimum, which caps at $49,000 in 2021.

The union has proposed practice roster players make no less than $1,000 a week (or $18,000 per season). The league has countered with $750/week, but to increase the practice roster size to 12, from seven, and implement “two-way” contracts, making it easier for teams to release players.

The union is also pushing for an increase to post-season playoff share, and a hike to the Grey Cup bonus cheque, which the league has refused.

One area the two sides have come to terms on is the increase in roster size–from 42 to 44 on game day. The extra two spots would be occupied by a non-import and one designated import. The reserve list would drop from four per game to two.

The CFL has proposed an eight-year collective bargaining agreement, double the length of the current deal. The union wants the duration to be “subject to negotiation.”

A source tied to the league, speaking on the condition of anonymity, believes the tactic of the league and its governors/owners is patience—the thinking being that the union will eventually give in once the risk of losing pay is a legitimate possibility."

 

ricky foley at it on twitter..

 

these guys are trying to bury the league. If players strike, will fans come back? this isn't a lock out, this will be a strike. I'm not convinced the fans come back in all places.

 

And if the players strike, can the cfl not just get replacement players? i mean, really.. get rid of the canadian ratio and there you go, i think we still see CFL football this year tho. if not, this may be the end. 

This may destroy the momentum the league had but the fans will be back.  Unlike other leagues, fans can sympathize with both sides, especially the players. 

 

i don't know about that, i think why fans relate so well to the CFL is because these guys arent making tons and tons and tons of money. But to your point, let's use toronto as an example, how could fans come back if they werent really there to being with?

H&L were talking about this tonight. Players have a new proposal to submit tomorrow that asks for revenue sharing of 40-50% with year one being $7 million. It will escalate from there.

According to Lawless Bombers had about $23 million in revenue this past hear. Minus concert revenue it's still over $20 million. So players want a $10 million cap?

Never in a million years.

Well, guess no CFL football this year.

 

 

slight over exageration, its one thing to miss rookie and training camp but once they start missing those weekly cheques, the players will cave.

 

 

Its not just the players losing out on checks got to think some of these agent whose client list is mostly CFL players will start missing their pay checks too.

heard they want 40-50 % revenue sharing plus 7 million cap to start.. like TUP said, that's insanity really and if thats what they players want... there will be no season this year, no season probably means no more CFL ever.

Lol @ the melodrama in this thread...

heard they want 40-50 % revenue sharing plus 7 million cap to start.. like TUP said, that's insanity really and if thats what they players want... there will be no season this year, no season probably means no more CFL ever.

 

The players will not stay on strike for a whole season.  There's no way.  It just won't happen.  And that's why they are going to lose this fight.

 

Like I just heard them say on Hustler and Lawless, does anyone think at 38 years old Henry Burris is going to give up $465,000?  Who knows if that contract will even still be there next year.  Just so Joe Nobody can have an extra 10 grand on his minimum salary?  Is Henry Burris that selfless???  Is anyone????

Lol @ the melodrama in this thread...

No kidding. The CFL is far from dead.  My gosh, the melodrama is right. 

ricky foley at it on twitter..

 

these guys are trying to bury the league. If players strike, will fans come back? this isn't a lock out, this will be a strike. I'm not convinced the fans come back in all places.

 

And if the players strike, can the cfl not just get replacement players? i mean, really.. get rid of the canadian ratio and there you go, i think we still see CFL football this year tho. if not, this may be the end. 

I checked Foley's twitter. All he's talking about is going to do some batting practice at a facility somewhere. 

Lots of football players out there who want to play. If it ever came down to an extended strike the cfl could waive the non import rule and invite replacements.

But it won't come to that. Neither side is that stupid especially the players who aren't going to miss several weeks pay to get a raise that won't even benefit them until next season and how many would risk not being back next season to reap the rewards of striking? Just not worth it

This is all standard procedure for CBA negotiations. Nothing to see here (yet).

 

ricky foley at it on twitter..

 

these guys are trying to bury the league. If players strike, will fans come back? this isn't a lock out, this will be a strike. I'm not convinced the fans come back in all places.

 

And if the players strike, can the cfl not just get replacement players? i mean, really.. get rid of the canadian ratio and there you go, i think we still see CFL football this year tho. if not, this may be the end. 

I checked Foley's twitter. All he's talking about is going to do some batting practice at a facility somewhere. 

 

hashtag strike. man read between the lines there, you dont even have too.

Just for the record,  my posts above were very tongue in cheek, sarcastica for sure. 

Even if this thing goes into June I still won't be concerned until about mid-June.

Last CBA was a late agreement too and wasn't even fully ratified etc. until June 26.

i stand by my original post in this thread, not concerned at the moment.. however with every passing day, slight concern does start to creep in. we'd be naive to think that the season might not be played, but we'd be naive to think it definitely will be also.

 

You never know what happens here, for all we know, we wake up tomorrow and theres a topic that says players and owners agree to new deal.

 

 

ricky foley at it on twitter..

 

these guys are trying to bury the league. If players strike, will fans come back? this isn't a lock out, this will be a strike. I'm not convinced the fans come back in all places.

 

And if the players strike, can the cfl not just get replacement players? i mean, really.. get rid of the canadian ratio and there you go, i think we still see CFL football this year tho. if not, this may be the end. 

I checked Foley's twitter. All he's talking about is going to do some batting practice at a facility somewhere. 

 

hashtag strike. man read between the lines there, you dont even have too.

 

Whatever, like Sheets if he wants to say something.... It's not like Foley's the brightest light bulb in the building. 

Fooley speaks smrtly ya. Bet he good at make fire, hunt Woolly

Mammoth.

Just glad Foly can now complete a sentence without adding "you know what I'm sayin?" Guess your syntax changes when you leave the make-believe 'hood.

@TSNScianitti: To clarify: #CFLPA's wants share of gate,sponsorship&TV revenue. With each stream PA proposing its share be in the range of approx 40-55%

Interesting read from Lawless:

The Canadian Football League Players Association will propose a revenue-sharing formula that arrives upon a salary cap of $7 million when collective bargaining resumes with the league today in Toronto.

TSN originally reported the story and a source familiar with the negotiations confirmed the report to the Free Press. The union, which agreed to have revenue sharing taken out of the last agreement, want to see the league adopt a formula where a mix of gate, TV and sponsorship revenues are blended to reach a revenue number that will then be divided by the nine league teams settling on a salary cap in the range of $7 million.

The players want portions of the three streams ranging from 40 to 55 per cent. Specifics were not available Tuesday but the example of, "maybe it’s 40 per cent of TV, 50 per cent of gate and 55 per cent of sponsorship which gets you to the $7 million figure," was offered by a source.

The current CBA which expires on June 1, sees each teams work under a salary cap of $4.4 million. The rise of $2.6 million coincides closely with the extra money each team could potentially receive from a new TV deal between the league and TSN, which is scheduled to kick in for the 2014 season.

Last year’s broadcast deal was worth $15 million spread out over eight teams with each club receiving in the neighbourhood of $1.9 million per season. The new deal is reportedly worth $40 million split among nine teams including the expansion Ottawa Redblacks and would potentially see each team receive a league cheque worth $4.4 million. The new broadcast deal runs through 2018 and rises by $1 million a year until capping out at $44 million per season.

A source with a CFL club told the Free Press the league would view a rise in the salary cap to $5 million as a reasonable finishing point to negotiations.

The union offer seems to be a bit of a telegraph in that they are asking for the entire share of new TV monies. One could easily read the message from today’s expected offer as the starting point of a negotiation that would get them half of the new TV money or close to a $1.3 million increase to the cap.

If ownership wants to get to a cap of $5 million and it appears the players are aiming for an increase to $5.7 million, the two sides should eventually be able to see they are not that far off from a deal.

Disrupting the season over a difference of $700,000 would seem to be a waste. Time, however, is beginning to run short with the regular season six weeks away. A strike during rookie or full training camp does not have to equate to regular season games missed. The players, who rely on game cheques, and the clubs who would need to refund gate and sponsorship dollars as well as foregoing any new TV money are both motivated to make sure no games are missed.

Getting a deal that works for both sides is still possible. Once games are lost, however, ownership could become intractable. They’ll want to take their losses out of the players’ share and their offer could shrink commensurately which could in turn harden the players’ position. Now is the time to deal. For everyone.

How much does the cap going up in 2014 matter to the players?  Aren't most of them signed for 2014 anyway?  I suppose they might get some extra if they sign an extension.  I haven't seen any proposal that raises everyone's salary up 5% or something across the board.  

 

I'd think the bigger issue is where the cap is heading in 15-16-17-18.

5 million might work but given that Winnipeg and Saskatchewan, two clubs that actually make $ have huge stadium debts, the players need to realize they can't be greedy. What is Bob Young decides he's sick of losing $? Braley?

I bet Braley was probably the guy behind just a one hundred thousand raise in the salary cap that got the players riled up in the first place. 

I can honestly see a good bump in the first year and then smaller increments every year of the new contract, but, if I understand the proposal, any attempt to tie gate revenue into blended sharing would be a terrible idea. Don't like it. 

 

 

The players ask is ludicrous. But that collective bargaining nowadays. Bunch of grown adults get in a room and act like children and insult each other. Deal eventually gets done and they pose in front of camera like old friends