(The Canadian Press)

By Canadian Press

CFL and CFLPA resume talks in attempt to hammer out a new labour deal

May 14, 2022 | 3:33 PM

TORONTO — With their current labour deal set to expire at midnight ET, representatives from the CFL and CFL Players’ Association resumed talks Saturday in an attempt to hammer out a new collective bargaining agreement.

Both sides met late into the evening on Friday. A league spokesman confirmed via email Saturday afternoon that “both sides are still talking.”

Additional updates were expected later in the day. Training camps are scheduled to open Sunday and the pre-season schedule is set to begin May 23.

The current contract was negotiated before the 2019 season and amended last year so the CFL could stage a 14-game campaign. If a new agreement isn’t reached in time, six of the league’s nine franchises will be in a legal strike position at 12:01 a.m. ET on Sunday.

Players with the Edmonton Elks, Calgary Stampeders and Montreal Alouettes will all have to report to their respective training camps. Those teams wouldn’t be in a legal strike position until later this month as per provincial labour laws.

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The league and union resumed negotiations last Wednesday, six days after the CFLPA rejected the CFL’s first proposal.

Shortly afterwards, in a memo to players, the union stated the CFL wanted to eliminate the Canadian ratio and veteran American ratio and reduce the number of Canadians. In the current agreement, CFL rosters must include 21 Canadians, of which seven must be starters.

The league later came back with an amended proposal.

The lone previous CFL strike came in 1974. The labour situation was resolved prior to the start of the season that year.

The 2022 regular season is scheduled to begin June 9.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 14, 2022.

– The Canadian Press