Some Asking Questions

Not everyone seems pleased with the tentative 5 year deal reached by the CFL and the CFLPA this past weekend, just prior to the cut- off for contract talks to end.

Saturday’s (tentative five) year collective bargaining agreement between the CFL and the Players Association is still at an all time

After the tentative deal was reached Saturday with several players posting messages of frustration and disappointment on social media sites, which naturally carried into Sunday on both the web and the field.

Saturday the Players’ Association’s team representatives held a conference call so as to measure the emotions of players from team to team.

“Personally, I think the right move is to ratify [the tentative deal],” Hamilton Tiger-Cats representative Peter Dyakowski said Monday when asked how anxious he was for a ratification vote. “However, I’ve seen a lot of people disagree with that.”

The ultimate goal of the executive’s outreach, whether explicitly stated or not, is to secure a majority “Yes” vote in ratification, which is set to take place in the coming days.

The Players’ Association is trying to hurry the process of obtaining a physical copy of the tentative deal to pass it along to its members, who can then read it over and ask any questions to clarify concerns.

Right now, legal counsel for both the league and the players are reviewing and solidifying language in the potential agreement.

The union would require six of the league’s nine teams voting in favour – with players on each team voting 50 per cent-plus-one to ratify the agreement – for the tentative CBA to pass.

All players, rookies included, will be allowed to cast a ballot.

If the (tentative) CBA is rejected, the union will notify the CFL and attempt to reopen negotiations with the league.

In the last year of the CFL’s previous CBA, the salary cap was set at $4.4 million and the minimum salary was set at $45,000.

In the first year of the tentative CBA, the salary cap would be set at $5 million and increase annually by $50,000, with minimum salaries rising to $50,000.

Also included are the elimination of the team option year in non-rookie contracts, and a ratification bonus of $7,500 for veterans and $1,500 for rookies.

The CFLPA will reportedly control the disbursement of the bonus, and set a veteran scale that could potentially award players who’ve played six-plus years in the league $12,000.

Let’s wait and see how it plays out and who drops the ball on this one?