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."

 

 

Offer also asked for $15k one time payment to each veteran player. CFL walked out rather than counter.

I bet the young players will be happy to vote for strike now knowing the veterans angled for a payday for themselves.  The CFL should counter with something that speaks to the younger players/rookies etc and drive a wedge.

 

 

Keep in mind for the purpose of this discussion, I'm pretty sure "veterans" means anyone who is not a first year player.

 

That makes more sense then.

Looks like Stu Laird made a huge mistake agreeing to get rid of revenue sharing... Look where we are now because of it. A strike. Where was that dipstick Ed Molstad in all of this? Advising Laird to go with getting rid of it & he's still on the negotiating committee? He should be fired. 

15k is a pretty big payday. That's ridiculous if you ask me.

The worst part is the fans seem to want a season to happen more than the people who actually are in charge. Good GOD, both these groups are idiots and morons.

 

Be funny though if the strike vote didn't pass 

If you have to err on the side of the players getting extra money or the league getting cost certainty, you should side with the league.  From a simplicity perspective I think the minimum salary should go up.  i think practice roster pay should go up and I think the cap should go up a percentage that is not just okay for the rich teams but manageable for the weak teams also.

 

The CFL might have erred in offering the signing bonus.  Much like when the NHLPA offered rollbacks as an alternative to a cap, the owners accepted it as a core part of the process.  The PA will now be expecting gains in the cap but will expect that one time payment also and if they dont get it, what was once not even a consideration will be seen as a loss.

 

Depending on what this one time payment costs, perhaps the league would offer an even large signing bonus (say $20,000-$25,000, maybe on a sliding scale of years in league) and ask for a lower cap increase.  How many CFL players would look at a $25,000 cheque and vote to strike in favour of wage increases in future years when they are likely to not even be here...

I'm most upset that the league would just walk out without even an attempt to counter. Yeesh.

15k per vet would work out to almost 700k for the bombers

So the commish offer 1k to 3k bonuses if they sign the leagues offer.

The CFLPA counters with 15k bonuses to all vets?

Ridiculous. I hope the majority of the players show up anyway when camp opens.

Players deserve a raise. But their asks have to be realistic for a league where half the teams lose money and where team have teetered off and on on the brink of bankruptcy for the last 20 years.

Wow is the PA ever a joke. Amateur hour at the bargaining table.

I'm expecting the league to counter eventually.  The players still want too much IMHO.  15K signing bonuses?  Really?  I guess the guys with contracts finally realized that they don't get anything except a signing bonus this year.

That one tweet about coaches being paid and the players aren't just shows you how stupid the PA actually is. Coaches aren't part of the CFLPA. 

I'm most upset that the league would just walk out without even an attempt to counter. Yeesh.

Who's to say that they won't walk back in an hour later with a counter?  I certainly don't expect them to sit in the same room yelling numbers back and forth like an old-timey auction.  They're just going to take turns doing deal or no deal.

Matthew Scianitti ‏@TSNScianitti  2m

#CFLPA source says players will be told to attend training camp "in good faith" until the union reviews all its options. #CFL

Kirk Penton just pointed out .. at least they've moved on from revenue sharing. That IS a big step.

Kirk Penton just pointed out .. at least they've moved on from revenue sharing. That IS a big step.

Makes you wonder then why can't they get a deal done. Unfreakingbelievable. 

That one tweet about coaches being paid and the players aren't just shows you how stupid the PA actually is. Coaches aren't part of the CFLPA. 

I was just going to post this.  Complaining about the coaches getting paid is really rich on the part of the players, a PA rep no less.  Talk about out of touch. 

 

It really does seem that the players have it in their minds that they deserve substantial increases.  They deserve increases but this is the first time how long that the league is in a position to be financially stable across the board and to finally invest in core league initiatives.  Players want to be "partners"?  Act like it.

Matthew Scianitti ‏@TSNScianitti 2m

#CFLPA source says players will be told to attend training camp "in good faith" until the union reviews all its options. #CFL

This is encouraging.

To me, this is all on Laird & Molstad. He is the CFLPA legal counsel & has been involved as a player & then as a lawyer since 1974. If I'm angry at anyone, it's Molstad. If I had a dart board with his picture, I'd be chucking darts at him. What kind of stupid advice is this tool giving the CFLPA?

THE pa moving on from revenue sharing is a good sign, maybe not all is lost, very reminiscent here of the last few days of the NHL talks when they came to a deal, bunch of media people going on about how there is no deal and doesn't seem close but then little bits of info like the players in this case backing away from revenue sharing is coming out and it makes you wonder if they are indeed closer than what the media is leading us to believe. 

 

Heck, i think even a couple hours b4 the nhl and the pa reached a deal the media guys were like the season will be cancelled. So really... what do they know? lol

 

More than any of us but... probably not as much as they think.

 

TSN ran a story on its website saying talks arent going well and they aren't close, i read it and i guess they based that on jim hopson giving a thumb up and a thumb down.

 

Cuz there were no real facts to support that it wasn't going well.

Penton tweeted, & I agree, that it's a positive sign that the players have backed away from the cap being fully tied to revenue. Now it looks like a fight over numbers, rather than about philosophy. IMO that's an easier problem to solve.

5.5 million cap i think gets it done, said that all along too. maybe with 100,000 dollar increments each year of the deal... maybe, im not sold on a 100,000 increase each year though. Cuz at the end the cap would be over 6 and i dont think that will work.

@scratchingpost: #CFLPA VP Marwan Hage: "It's two steps forward, ten steps backward." #CFL

 

Matthew Scianitti ‏@TSNScianitti  2m

#CFLPA source says players will be told to attend training camp "in good faith" until the union reviews all its options. #CFL

 

 

"Good faith" kinda…sorta means, incoming ballot numbers aren't looking so good?

anyone see the don landry tweet on the side? what the heck is the PRC?

 

"cflpa: we eagerly await the response of the PRC, we hope a deal can be reached today. "

 

Player Relations Commite? Players ******** Cousins? what the heck is PRC.

 

CFL offer now coming out, 5 million cap this year, 50 k increases each year to 5.25 million, raise of the minimum salary to 55 k. 

 

That don't seem to bad, not just raise the cap this year to 5.25 million and then go from there with the 50k increases per year and you should have a deal.

 

Then throw the players a bone and offer them 5k signing bonus's on day 1 of the regular season.

Arash Madani ‏@ArashMadani  51s

Very, very little has changed from the #CFL proposal to the players from eight days ago. Average $5 mil cap last week. Now up to about $5.1.