Canadian Football League players are being advised by their union the possibility of a work stoppage exists this June. And that means they should be saving their money.
Stu Laird, the president of the CFL Players’ Association, has sent two confidential e-mails to every league player — including one last Monday — painting a bleak picture prior to the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement June 5, one day before the scheduled start of training camp.
Canwest has obtained copies of those e-mails, along with the CFLPA’s latest proposals.
“It continues to be the opinion of the executive committee that a CFL management lockout of the players is a very real possibility,” Laird wrote. “Players should ensure that they’re taking the necessary financial steps at this time, in anticipation that there may be no training camp paycheques on June 6, 2010.”
Laird stresses to the players the need to remain unified as they enter this potential tenuous state.
The CFLPA’s bargaining committee is scheduled to meet with the league’s Players Relations Committee in Toronto on April 26. There have been no negotiations since late October. That has led to charges from the CFLPA that the PRC isn’t seriously attempting to negotiate and resolve the issue.
Get daily National news
Although the two sides met in Edmonton on Feb. 25, no negotiations occurred. Instead, the PRC requested clarification on a number of points contained in the CFLPA proposal.
With so much at stake on both sides, it would be surprising if a settlement isn’t reached. The majority of players are paid only from June through November and are hardly striking it rich. The average CFL salary is slightly below $60,000. Indeed, based on last season’s salary survey, 22 players were paid less than $42,000, according to the CFLPA.
At the same time, the league’s two primary revenue streams come from television, which brings an annual yield of about $15 million, and gate revenues. That means the owners — even some of the western-based community-owned clubs — would also be affected by any potential work interruption.
But it’s clear the CFL means business this time. The league was represented by Edmonton Eskimos president Rick LeLacheur, who worked in conjunction with several team governors, on the current four-year deal that’s about to expire. Hugh Campbell, a former Eskimos player, head coach and executive, helped negotiate the previous deal. This time, however, the CFL has hired labour lawyer Stephen Shamie.
The contentious issues appear to be the percentage players receive from revenues taken in by the CFL. Players receive 56 per cent of defined team revenues on a leaguewide basis. The league wants to eliminate that percentage. The CFLPA will agree — but only for the first three years of a four-year agreement.
The CFLPA also predictably is proposing an increase to compensation. The minimum salary of $41,000 last season would increase to $42,000 and go up by $1,000 annual increments. It also wants Grey Cup shares to increase to $20,000 (winners) and $10,000 (losers), up from $16,000 and $8,000, respectively.
Another proposal includes the $4.2-million salary cap increasing to $4.4 million this season and rising to $4.7 million by 2013. Also, the CFLPA will agree to a drug policy provided it receives one year’s notice. But since the CFL estimates the cost of drug testing would be between $350,000 and $400,000 annually, the CFLPA believes the expenditure is better spent elsewhere. And the union is calling for revenue sharing.
There has been only one work stoppage in CFL history — June 1974, when players went on strike. Rookie recruits were flown in by the league in an effort to break the union. The veterans responded by establishing picket lines at all teams’ training camps. This weakened the league’s resolve and, within three weeks, a new three-year CBA was ratified.
Montreal Gazette
Comments
Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.