CFL players vote down tentative deal with CFL: Report

It appears the tentative deal between the CFL and the CFL Players’ Association has fallen incomplete.

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

According to sources, the tentative @CFL CBA has been voted-down by the membership. This, despite being approved by the bargaining committee and recommended by team player reps. It has been defeated. There is no CBA. #CFLPA #CFL

— Dave Naylor (@TSNDaveNaylor) May 23, 2022

The league and the union’s bargaining committee reached the deal last Wednesday night, ending a players’ strike that had started four days earlier.

That work stoppage forced the postponement of the training camps of seven CFL teams, with the teams in Alberta having to wait three days to follow suit.

The teams’ player reps reportedly recommended the deal to the union’s members, but Naylor’s report suggests the majority of those who voted shot down the deal.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have been holding training camp in Saskatoon. According to Naylor, the players can go on strike again whenever they see fit.

The @CFLPA can go back on strike at anytime. Players have a meeting this evening.#CFLPA #CFL

— Dave Naylor (@TSNDaveNaylor) May 23, 2022

When the players initially went on strike, they raised concerns about a number of issues in the CFL’s offer, including proposed salary increases, a revenue-sharing model put forward by the league, the ratio of Canadian and American players per team, and the number of padded practices each team could have.

The defeat of the proposed deal in the ratification process suggests those issues haven’t been resolved to the players’ satisfaction.

If I was on the bargaining committee I’d resign immediately. 🇨🇦 players have shown us how bad they need the ratio. Nothing else matters 🤦🏽 https://t.co/EJeiMhdSJn

— Farhan Lalji (@FarhanLaljiTSN) May 23, 2022

The initial strike forced the postponement of the Roughriders’ first pre-season game, which was to be played Monday against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Mosaic Stadium. That game was moved to May 31.

It’s unclear what Monday’s news means for that game, or for any other pre-season game. The league’s exhibition slate was to begin Friday.