Negotiations for the renewal of the collective agreement between the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the Players’ Association have been cut short. The union left the bargaining table.
In a note sent to its members, the union indicated that it rejected the proposal for a collective agreement that would be spread over 10 years and would require the freezing of the salary cap as well as the elimination of the ratio of players in Canada.
The Players Association said it came out of the bargaining table on Thursday night after the league asked players to report to camps even though the strike seemed inevitable.
In its memo, the union said it plans to meet with its members on Friday afternoon to discuss the state of the situation.
Currently, the league insists that even if a strike is unavoidable, players have until days before camps open to report it., can we read in the note. The league refused to pay for players ’travel if they had to go home afterwards.
The league has threatened our association with a lawsuit if we tell you that a strike seems inevitable and suggest that you do not report to the camps. In addition, the league has set a deadline to accept its position upon the arrival of players in the camps, otherwise it will refuse to negotiate with us.we add.
The players ’union, however, has indicated that it has reached the league to find common ground on certain issuesbut many others remain in conflict.
The CFL issued a statement on Friday, but did not directly comment on the status of the negotiations or information provided by the union to its members.
Having Canadian players is important to the CFL, as are the veteran American players who make their careers here. It will not changesaid the league.
On Monday, CFL players sent a clear message to their representatives by voting 95% for a strike.
The collective agreement will end on May 14, and training camps will begin the next day.
The preseason schedule will begin on May 23, with a duel between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Saskatchewan Roughriders.
The CFL canceled the 2020 season due to pandemic. The league and the Players Association have also changed the current collective agreement to allow the presentation of a shortened season to 14 games in 2021.
The two parties are expected to meet again next Wednesday.
Source: Radio-Canada
