Seven teams to go on strike Sunday after CFL, CFLPA unable to reach agreement

[argolio]

Per John Hodge, below is the updated proposal, which has now removed the additional 3 Naturalized Americans for 49% of snaps, and also includes a small raise to the cap. No clarification on other other issues - ratification bonus or when revenue sharing starts.

https://3downnation.com/2022/05/24/c...ive-agreement/

This needs to be sorted out within a day or two. They really have no other choice.

[AngeloV]

Per John Hodge, below is the updated proposal, which has now removed the additional 3 Naturalized Americans for 49% of snaps, and also includes a small raise to the cap. No clarification on other other issues - ratification bonus or when revenue sharing starts.

https://3downnation.com/2022/05/24/c...ive-agreement/

I am with the Canadian players here. The 49% thing was sketchy at best. It was step one in trying to further eliminate Canadian players on any future CBA. What the American vet players do not get is that once the Canadian ratio is gone, then it will be the higher priced vets that lose their jobs to many of the American players looking for a chance at pro ball and will play for considerably less money. At that point it would become a farce of a league with even bigger player turnover every season.

[Skinny G]

I am with the Canadian players here. The 49% thing was sketchy at best. It was step one in trying to further eliminate Canadian players on any future CBA. What the American vet players do not get is that once the Canadian ratio is gone, then it will be the higher priced vets that lose their jobs to many of the American players looking for a chance at pro ball and will play for considerably less money. At that point it would become a farce of a league with even bigger player turnover every season.

Ambrosie has now come out and since the 49% with 3 Naturalized Canadians was rejected, they are going back to a proposal of fully removing a Canadian - 6 actual Canadians plus 1 American. He also has now essentially said if they don't accept, they will lock out the players and not pay them for food and housing. Shows you the type of human beings he, and the league's bargaining committee is.

https://twitter.com/sportsdanbarnes

He's of course not going to media outlets that will challenge him, and as mentioned here already... the TSN water boys are trying to stir up things within the players and clearly are pro BOG.

[paulwoods13]

He also has now essentially said if they don't accept, they will lock out the players and not pay them for food and housing. Shows you the type of human beings he, and the league'

What would you like the league to do? Carry on "business as usual" if a second agreement reached between the two parties also fails to get accepted by the union membership? Keep housing and feeding players who could strike at any time? Make a third offer? Keep increasing the offer until the players finally say Yes?

This has nothing to do with the "kind of human beings" Ambrosie and the CFL bargaining committee are. The league has already changed its offer in an effort to satisfy the players who voted against it -- something it was under no obligation to do. It would be entirely abnormal practice in any industrial relations context, any industry, for mgmt to allow operations to continue without a CBA if union members failed to ratify two agreements reached between the employer and the certified bargaining agent.

It appears the new proposal benefits current players more, at the expense of players in six or seven years. That was entirely predictable. Most of the guys voting won't be in the league in six or seven years. But we now know teams will need just six true NAT starters as long as they have one naturalized NAT capable of starting -- something most teams have.

[Skinny G]

What would you like the league to do? Carry on "business as usual" if a second agreement reached between the two parties also fails to get accepted by the union membership? Keep housing and feeding players who could strike at any time? Make a third offer? Keep increasing the offer until the players finally say Yes?

This has nothing to do with the "kind of human beings" Ambrosie and the CFL bargaining committee are. The league has already changed its offer in an effort to satisfy the players who voted against it -- something it was under no obligation to do. It would be entirely abnormal practice in any industrial relations context, any industry, for mgmt to allow operations to continue without a CBA if union members failed to ratify two agreements reached between the employer and the certified bargaining agent.

It appears the new proposal benefits current players more, at the expense of players in six or seven years. That was entirely predictable. Most of the guys voting won't be in the league in six or seven years. But we now know teams will need just six true NAT starters as long as they have one naturalized NAT capable of starting -- something most teams have.

This can be handled in a professional manner, or through media outlets in a threatening manner. Clearly Ambrosie has chose the latter repeatedly. As people who work in the business world and support executives, executive professionalism is not far off from how they are in real life.


Ambrosie & Miller would very likely have never been in the positions they are in, if not for the ratio. CEBL, CPL, Raptors (via 905 and NBA team) see the roles they play to promote the growth and development their respective games in Canada and market it as such. CFL wants to tear it down.


You're right, the CFL doesn't have an obligation to change their offer. But they have just as much to lose.

[OV Argo]

Exactly, the Naylor and Lailji seem to love stiring up controversy for clicks.

A CFL apologist and dupe like Naylor will gladly list the reasons the Americans (coaches & players) running the CFL don't like the ratio and over-paid Canadians; but always fail to mention facts/points like: the CFL was stronger/ better play / more popular in days when the ratio and number of Canadians on rosters was greater, not less: the highest paid job in the CFL (QB) has been reserved for mostly Americans for decades; and who makes CFL roster decisions and find ways to complain about a "ratio problem" (that gets lapped up by some suckers out there) - a clique of mostly Americans who constantly campaign for more of their guys in the CFL and reserve a whole bunch of the best / highest paid jobs (QBs, starters) for their fellow 'mericans.

Funny that eh Naylor? or maybe with all your years of CFL "reporting" experience, you haven't grasped these points or are afraid of them ?

[ArgoRavi]

My disappointment with Naylor and Lalji is that they made assumptions that have turned out to be incorrect and really contributed to a feeding frenzy occurring among fans on social media. It's not the case that only the Canadian players voted against ratification; American players also did. Nick Arbuckle did a terrific interview about all of this on Edmonton radio on Tuesday. Other than the likes of Simoni Lawrence beaking off, there isn't much evidence that there's a split between Canadian and American players but Naylor, Lalji and other journalists (like the Ottawa Sun's Tim Baines) were only too quick to jump on that narrative.

[paulwoods13]

This can be handled in a professional manner, or through media outlets in a threatening manner. Clearly Ambrosie has chose the latter repeatedly. As people who work in the business world and support executives, executive professionalism is not far off from how they are in real life.

The league presumably told the PA the consequences of not accepting the revised offer (close camps and stop housing players) before Ambrosie spoke to journalists. As soon as you tell the union what will happen, you know word will spread, so you might as well get out in front by announcing it yourself. Any executive (in any industry that the media pays attention to) would have done exactly the same thing. And BTW, are you suggesting that Dan Barnes is also the CFL's water boy? He also interviewed Ambrosie.

[AngeloV]

The league presumably told the PA the consequences of not accepting the revised offer (close camps and stop housing players) before Ambrosie spoke to journalists. As soon as you tell the union what will happen, you know word will spread, so you might as well get out in front by announcing it yourself. Any executive (in any industry that the media pays attention to) would have done exactly the same thing. And BTW, are you suggesting that Dan Barnes is also the CFL's water boy? He also interviewed Ambrosie.

I have no issues at all with what Naylor and Lalji are reporting. At least they do not go out of their way to slam the league with their opinions the way Madani does. It would be bad on them not to report what is going on once they have confirmation of the stories. Calling these guys water boys to me is way over the top.

Note: damn I hate the apostrophe issue on this site while using Apple products.

[paulwoods13]

I have no issues at all with what Naylor and Lalji are reporting. At least they do not go out of their way to slam the league with their opinions the way Madani does. It would be bad on them not to report what is going on once they have confirmation of the stories.

Naylor, Lalji and Barnes are engaging in actual journalism: reporting information obtained from individuals connected to the league. They're not engaging in speculation and they're not spear carrying. Those who call them water boys, apologists and dupes only discredit themselves.

[OV Argo]

Naylor, Lalji and Barnes are engaging in actual journalism: reporting information obtained from individuals connected to the league. They're not engaging in speculation and they're not spear carrying. Those who call them water boys, apologists and dupes only discredit themselves.

Do you mean they "report" information that you like to hear, and otherwise they are far ranging and varied in their understanding of the league and it's issues ? I get standing up for your profession Paul; but sorry, Naylor is a trained seal dupe of a CFL commentator; and if you dismiss other's view of him as invalid or meaningless, you are doing discredit to yourself. Just IMO.

[paulwoods13]

Do you mean they "report" information that you like to hear, and otherwise they are far ranging and varied in their understanding of the league and it's issues ? I get standing up for your profession Paul; but sorry, Naylor is a trained seal dupe of a CFL commentator; and if you dismiss other's view of him as invalid or meaningless, you are doing discredit to yourself. Just IMO.

This reply was sadly predictable, and dripping with all the usual irony. Oh well.

[OV Argo]

This reply was sadly predictable, and dripping with all the usual irony. Oh well.

Again, something you don't like to hear; just like I'm sick of Naylor types in the Canadian football media $ucking-up to CFL GOBs and their cliches about how inferior or lacking Canadian football talent is - "ratio problem" and "ratio breakers" and Canadian QBs are all "inferior trained" with "weak arm strength" - something that Naylor and his ilk have been led to believe and dutifully parrot or else are too gutless or clueless to ever question.

[argolio]

Again, something you don't like to hear; just like I'm sick of Naylor types in the Canadian football media $ucking-up to CFL GOBs and their cliches about how inferior or lacking Canadian football talent is - "ratio problem" and "ratio breakers" and Canadian QBs are all "inferior trained" with "weak arm strength" - something that Naylor and his ilk have been led to believe and dutifully parrot or else are too gutless or clueless to ever question.

Unless you're talking about a different Naylor, when has he done that? And the ratio and Canadian QBs were issues long before Dave Naylor was a journalist.

---

The CFLPA is between a rock and a hard place after the rejection of an agreement they recommended. That 49% of snaps nonsense handed the league more leverage. Huge miscalculation.

[Will]

I think there are two opposite spectrums at play. On one end you have 3DownNation who is very pro-PA and that's fine.

However, if Dunk's twitter interaction with Naylor from yesterday is any indication, there is tension brewing between 3Down and Naylor/Lalji ("TSN"). TSN has chosen to walk a bit of a finer line, which is understandable given the business relationship between the league and TSN.

[SkalbaniasGhost]

I think there are two opposite spectrums at play. On one end you have 3DownNation who is very pro-PA and that's fine.

However, if Dunk's twitter interaction with Naylor from yesterday is any indication, there is tension brewing between 3Down and Naylor/Lalji ("TSN"). TSN has chosen to walk a bit of a finer line, which is understandable given the business relationship between the league and TSN.

It's all about access.3Down(Dunk,Hodge,Abbott) have a direct line to the CFLPA.TSN(Naylor/Lalji) spin the company line.

[SkalbaniasGhost]

Naylor, Lalji and Barnes are engaging in actual journalism: reporting information obtained from individuals connected to the league. They're not engaging in speculation and they're not spear carrying. Those who call them water boys, apologists and dupes only discredit themselves.

Barnes is a journalist.Naylor and Lalji are Bell mouthpieces.

[AngeloV]

Barnes is a journalist.Naylor and Lalji are Bell mouthpieces.

You're an idiot. I haven't seen Naylor (who was a journalist long before he worked at TSN) take any sides in this. Neither has Lalji.

[Shatto]

The issue of the ratio is a controversial topic. Regardless, of what the league says, reducing the number of starting Canadians to six and replacing the seventh with an American veteran, does reduce the Canadian content, perhaps not greatly but it still does. If the league had added an extra Canadian to the total roster, it might have made the change a little more palatable.

Hopefully, saner heads will prevail and the season can proceed as planned.

[AngeloV]

The issue of the ratio is a controversial topic. Regardless, of what the league says, reducing the number of starting Canadians to six and replacing the seventh with an American veteran, does reduce the Canadian content, perhaps not greatly but it still does. If the league had added an extra Canadian to the total roster, it might have made the change a little more palatable.

Hopefully, saner heads will prevail and the season can proceed as planned.

Well said.