When it comes to professional sports labour negotiations or disagreements, sometimes the rhetoric can be a little much for the average bystander.
But during an appearance on the 680 CJOB Sports Show Tuesday Night, CFL Players Association President Solomon Elimimian avoided the usual approach of finger-pointing and threats, and instead gave very thoughtful and reasonable responses to questions about what has riled up the CFLPA.
Just a few hours prior to that interview, the union had filed a grievance against the league, according to Justin Dunk of 3Down Nation. “I don’t know how that was leaked. It was an internal memo to our members to say we’re going to protect their rights, as we feel there’s money owed to our members that we’re gonna grieve. We’ll see where it goes.”
What Elimimian and the rest of the PA would like far more clarity on is what the league has planned for the 2020 season which has been impacted greatly by the coronavirus pandemic. According to Elimimian, his group was supposed to receive a set of guiding principles from the CFL head office last week that would outline where the players fit in for 2020. As of last night, that document had yet to be delivered. “It’s hard for the guys because we don’t have a direction and many guys have to make life decisions,” he said.
“I’ve heard guys say ‘sorry, I can’t keep waiting and might have to move on.’ That’s the hard part. I think there’s a culture of mistrust between the players and the CFL. One that needs to improve for the league to be where it needs to be. The players always feel like we get the butt-end of the stick when it comes to decisions being made without bringing us into those decisions.”
The former BC Lion and now Saskatchewan Roughriders star linebacker used the recent request by Commissioner Randy Ambrosie for $30 million in financial assistance from the Canadian government as one of those examples of the Players Association not being consulted and getting caught completely off guard. “What we’re saying is communication and information needs to be one where we are partners. I keep hearing that word, partnership. But partnership is being able to talk through situations — whether it’s paragraph 16; whether it’s going to government and really bringing the players in to articulate what we’re going through and to help navigate the ask for government.”
While many are pointing fingers at or criticizing Ambrosie’s leadership through the crisis, Elimimian is not one of those dissenting voices. The Union leader understands the difficult position the Commissioner and the league have been confronted with. But the clock is ticking on some very important discussions that have to take place before it’s too late. “As the league has more information and as the league is talking about potentials, we would just like to be brought in like many other leagues and their PA’s are talking about what might happen.”
Elimimian says one of the players’ main concerns are the lack of discussions regarding the modifications to the current Collective Bargaining Agreement that will surely be part of the return-to-play process if the league gets the green light to play in September. “There are things in the Collective Agreement that can be easily talked through without us knowing if there will be a season,” says Elimimian. “Things like training camp — how would things work if a player was to refuse to come up? What would that mean for his contract? The hard part is we’re really running out of time here. The league has set a date of September to return, but there’s a lot of items to be discussed before we actually get back on the field.”
And while safety for the players has to be a concern in a high contact sport like football, there is no doubt the conversation will also include money — especially when many players, according to Elimimian haven’t been paid for playing football since November. And he has a bit of an axe to grind with those who feel the players need to be patient. “Well guess what, those people are getting paid. Everybody right now is getting paid. Everybody right now is able to provide for their family. It’s kind of insensitive for people to tell players to have patience when all we’re asking for is information.”
It would stand to reason that if the schedule was to be reduced from 18 to 8 or 9 games, then players will have to accept receiving a prorated share of their salaries. But Elimimian says it’s not his job to say what is reasonable when it comes to another man’s paycheck. “Everybody has their own personal situation with their family. Until we see what the league is trying to outline, it wouldn’t be right for me to speculate on that. Obviously, the fact that there is a modified season would entail that you have to have a modification to the CBA. Until we see that, it’s going to come down to what’s fair and also what a player would personally feel comfortable playing for.”
And to add to the “not knowing,” there has also been speculation the league has been leaning towards going with a hub city format like a number of other leagues have in their return to play strategies. But Elimimian says he’d need to see a few more details before making a decision on that proposal. “I would like to see the health and safety protocols. Where are the guys staying, how the food would be delivered, how the players would be bused to the respective practice facilities. All these things we would have to discuss. I definitely want to play football. Our guys are itching to play football.
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“We all understand if we’re going to play, some comfort may have to be sacrificed to make sure that it’s safe for our players. We’re anxious to see what the CFL has been working on.”
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