BREAKING: OWNERS WON’T LOCK OUT PLAYERS

By: Arash Madani
Sportsnet.ca
 If there is a work stoppage in the Canadian Football League, it will not be initiated by the owners locking out the players.

League sources told Sportsnet Friday afternoon that the CFL will continue to operate under the current terms of its collective bargaining agreement with its players, so long as there is no strike.

“We will not lockout,” said a league source, familiar with the negotiations and the owners’ stance.

The players began a strike vote this week – sending ballots to the union membership, in anticipation of the CBA expiring on May 30. Talks between the CFLPA and the owners broke on Wednesday when the league abruptly walked out of negotiations less than ten minutes into the latest set of talks.

“Only the players association can answer if the players will report to training camp,” said the league source.

CFLPA president Scott Flory was still awaiting all of the strike ballots to return, when contacted by Sportsnet Friday.

“The players will speak through their votes,” said Flory, who expects the final tally to be ready next week. “We’ll see what happens. But we want to negotiate. If (the owners) are willing to talk, and if we have an assurance, in writing, that they’ll tie the cap to some kind of revenue, and it’s a fair share, we’ll discuss that among the executive and player reps (to avoid a work stoppage).”

There are presently no talks scheduled between the players and the owners, nine days removed from what is the scheduled start of training camp.

A labour lawyer not involved with these specific negotiations, but a specialist in collective bargaining, said the expiring CBA can continue under its current terms if there is no strike or lockout.  The players insist they want to continue bargaining with the league.

“At some point if they’re going to take this seriously, let’s sit down,” said Flory. “When (talks) came to monetary issues, they completely shut the door. That’s not partnership. That’s not negotiations. That’s telling.”

June 1 is the official first day of training camp practices, league-wide, although that is at the discretion of individual clubs. In some instances, veterans would be required to report May 31 for medicals. Should the players initiate the work stoppage, they could not officially strike in the province of Alberta until they provide 72 hours notice.

Talks have ceased between both sides over revenues. The CFL’s salary cap for players was $4.4 million in 2013, with a TV deal paying the league $15.3 million. The owners have proposed a cap averaging approximately $5 million over the course of a new CBA, with television money now averaging $42.5 million annually between 2014 and 2019.

CFL commissioner Mark Cohon called the latest players proposal – delivered to the league on Tuesday of this week with a $6.24 million salary cap – “unrealistic,” and one that would take the league “into the dark ages.”

The players do not understand how that could be.

“At his state of the league address during Grey Cup week of 2012, (Cohon) said six of the eight teams either break even or make money,” said Flory. “Our proposal still allows for (each of the) teams to be making a million dollars more than they previously were making.”

Cohon told Sportsnet on Wednesday that the time is now for “teams to start making money.”

“We don’t go around the country and say all is a rosy, then turn around and say its doom and gloom,” said Flory. “It’s unfortunate, but it’s a tactic of their’s. It’s part of the game of negotiations.”