CFL

A new collective bargaining agreement between the Canadian Football League (CFL) and Canadian Football League Players Association (CFLPA) has been turned ...

The Atlantic hurricane season, which spans from June 1 to Nov. 30, is expected to be a busy one. The largest high school in Kitchener has been closed Tuesday due to a power outage, as the area continues to recover from Saturday's storm. CTVNewsToronto.ca has compiled a list of some of the major pledges made by the leaders of the province’s four major parties. Hydro-Quebec is still working to restore power to many homes following the weekend storm that left hundreds of thousands of people in the dark. A report looking into a mapping program the RCMP had access to -- but couldn't open -- during the 2020 mass shooting in Nova Scotia concludes it could have helped contain the killer's rampage. The sentencing of former Canadian Football League wide receiver Joshua Boden for the murder of a woman in 2009 has been rescheduled to June 16. The Winnipeg Police Service is asking for the public's help to identify two women considered people of interest in the homicide of a Winnipeg woman. Two B.C. men have been ordered to pay thousands of dollars and were handed hunting bans in connection to the poaching of three moose. CTVNewsToronto.ca has compiled a list of some of the major pledges made by the leaders of the province’s four major parties. The city of Ottawa is setting up disposal bins at locations across the city for residents to get rid of food spoiled because of the ongoing power outages. A report looking into a mapping program the RCMP had access to -- but couldn't open -- during the 2020 mass shooting in Nova Scotia concludes it could have helped contain the killer's rampage. Canada is sending an additional 20,000 rounds of ammunition to Ukraine for the Ukrainian military to use in its ongoing defence against the Russians. This ammunition—155mm calibre, as well as fuses and charge bags—is being donated, but comes at a cost of $98 million, according to the federal government.

So, into uncharted waters we go. It feels like we've already experienced nearly everything in the Canadian Football League. But a collective agreement ...

Would the league opt to lock the players out, which is a complicated concept given that it is housing and feeding them right now – something it committed to do through the course of training camp, regardless of job action. Both spent countless hours negotiating adjustments to that agreement, made necessary by the pandemic in 2020 and 2021. Or the union starting to fly players home. In fact, what’s good for one side is sometimes bad for the other. Four days later, on May 18, the two sides came to a tentative agreement. (Three teams – Edmonton, Calgary and Montreal – continued to practise as they were not in a legal strike situation based on provincial law.)

A sticking point was an increase in the Canadian starters from seven to eight that included a “naturalized” Canadian.

It’s also tough to sign off on something when your career is short and you’re not going to be around in 2024 when the money kicks in. The Edmonton Elks and Calgary Stampeders didn’t go on strike due to different labour laws in Alberta. They were eligible to strike last Thursday. “I have thought it would have been a yes, but that’s just a personal guess and it’s also what I heard across the league,” Lauther said. How long the Riders will continue to attend training camp without a CBA in place remains to be determined. “We wanted to buy a day or two just so we can get something sorted out,” Brett Lauther, the Riders’ player representative, said after Tuesday’s practice. We can come out for a day or two until the figure something out, then it’s fine.”

According to TSN's Dave Naylor, the majority of players voted against the proposed collective bargaining agreement during the ratification process.

Ambrosie said Tuesday the new agreement addresses the CFLPA's biggest concerns: a ratification bonus and the Canadian ratio.

We just want to get this done and fulfil the promise we've made to our fans and stakeholders in having a 2022 season and one that's a cause for great celebration.'' ``Look, at this stage we know there will be consequences and effects to the league if, heaven forbid, we start missing games.'' The past two seasons have been difficult for both the league and players. ``The deal that went for ratification was one supported by the players' executive and player reps that we felt was a win-win and a great opportunity to build a new future. ``I'm hoping and praying the players will choose to vote and ratify this arrangement because I believe this sets us all up for the kind of future we've all wanted going back generations. ``That's why I believe this is the best we're going to do. ``But not with obstinance or negativity, we're going to stand by it because we truly believe this is a transformational deal. ``We are optimistic that Saturday's pre-season game will be played as scheduled,'' Stampeders president/GM John Hufnagel said in a tweet released by the club. It marked just the second work stoppage in league history and first since 1974. ``That's why we protected all of the roster spots to make sure Canadians have the chance to be on rosters and train and develop themselves. And that's not expected to sit well with CFL players. Ambrosie said the amended offer contains a $1-million ratification bonus pool for players.

The players could reject a final offer tabled by the league on Tuesday afternoon and go back on strike. For Saskatchewan Roughrider fans and businesses who ...

"If you give us that [bonus] now you have to take away something from somewhere else. Lauther said the ratification bonuses were a sticking point for some. He said the whole contract dispute raised anxiety for him, as his business relies on fans watching games in his establishment. We're excited about full season of football," he said. The proposal also reduces the number of Canadian starters from seven to six. If players turn it down and go back on strike, they will be served notice to vacate their training facilities.

Commissioner Randy Ambrosie says the CFL has tabled a final amended proposal to the CFL Players' Association.

The two sides are expected to meet informally Tuesday, with a source saying the CFL had already tabled a new offer to the players that reportedly included a boost in the salary cap along with a ratification bonus. The CFL and CFLPA reached a tentative seven-year agreement Wednesday, four days after players with seven of the league’s nine teams went on strike. On Monday night, the players rejected ratifying a tentative agreement that had been reached by the CFL and CFL Players' Association.

It was announced on the evening of May 18 that the CFL and the CFL Players' Association had reached a new tentative collective bargaining agreement after a ...

Any tentative agreement will have to be ratified by the players. “It is very rare. I think everybody wants this to move quickly.”