MARK COHON ISSUES STATEMENT, TALKS BREAK OFF
Dear CFL Fans:
Thank you for your patience and understanding during our contract talks with our players.
Out of respect for our players and the negotiation process, we have had little to say in public. But now that the talks have reached a critical juncture, I want to provide you, the most important people in the CFL, with an update.
Today, we have directly communicated to CFL players the full details of our offer to them.
It is fair and reasonable. It would increase the average player salary by 12 per cent this season, to $92,917. It would increase the minimum player’s salary by 11 per cent this season, to $50,000. It would increase the salary cap by nine per cent this season from $4.4 million to $4.8 million per team. More increases would come over the life of an agreement.
Unfortunately, the union’s bargaining team has rejected this offer, and instead put forward an unrealistic proposal which, if adopted, would threaten the very existence of the CFL.
This is why we are now communicating directly to the players. The details of our offer, in a letter from me to the players, are posted on CFL.ca.
You may hear a lot in the media about revenue sharing. Our offer would share increased revenue with our players. But we cannot agree to an approach that would focus solely on our teams’ revenues while ignoring their costs and the investments we must make to modernize, stabilize and maximize the CFL.
For example, our teams are directly investing $175 million in new stadiums and stadium improvements. Like your mortgage, these costs have to be financed over several years. We also need to invest in our digital properties, our social media, marketing and ticketing, and the fan experience in our stadiums. We need to serve you better to continue to earn your support and attract new fans.
Like you, we want football. We want training camp to open and our full pre-season and regular season schedule to be played. We don’t want a work stoppage.
Like you, we admire and appreciate what our players do on the field and in the community. They deserve to be paid fairly.
But also like you, we love this league. And that means we have a responsibility to you, and future generations of fans, to keep it strong.
Thanks to your support, the CFL is in a better place today than it has been in years. And we have made an offer that reflects this growth.
But we still have work to do to ensure all of our teams can make a profit, which is crucial to attracting the next generation of owners, at the same time we attract new fans. We still have a long way to go to realize our vision of a strong, sustainable league that can succeed in today’s rapidly changing business climate, and in every market.
It was a long winter in Canada. And like you, we can’t wait for the season to start. But we owe it to everyone who loves the CFL to seek an agreement that’s fair to our players and right for our league and its future.
Thank you again for your patience and all you’ve done to help us grow.
Mark Cohon
Commissioner, Canadian Football League
So much for not bargaining in the media!
Players turn to pony up in detail what they want. The CFL is a fan driven league, let the court of public opinion decide who’s more reasonable.
As a fan I’d like to see the extra revenue from the TSN TV deal go towards holding the line (or even reducing) my ticket expense.
I guess when a final dollar amount has been offered and rjected quickly. Its only fair for the fans and players to know what the Players Union has rejected. If there is to be a strike vote. Everybody needs to know everything to make a resonable decision. I for one understand how much money owners have put out and how much some have lost. David Braley has saved this league and lost Millions. I believe it would be in everyones best interest to make sure those who have lost money are first compensated. Then if the league continous to stay… Read more »
This sounds like it is going to get really ugly. And in this strike, everyone is going to lose.
When Cohon says, "Fair and reasonable" he just won the P.R battle again. The players deserve to be compensated, but it's supply and demand. Guys will climb over each other to play pro-football my goodness can you imagine trying to live playing in the Arena league yet people do? I've followed the CFL for 30 years. You are a Glieberman family, Harold Ballard, and Murray Pezim ownership group away from caving in the entire league. As it stands now 73 year old David Braley could have a chest pain and put this entire league into flux. It's never been stronger… Read more »
I agree Obama. But I really think the players have dollar signs dancing in their heads.
my guess is:
Strike happens and we lose most of training camp and 2 pre-season games. Players return late June before any regular season games are cancelled. Then the CFL uses the first 2 weeks as "pre-season" games with added roster spots. and off we go.
Russ from Saskatoon
Holy crap, Obama just posted an anti-union statement! I'm sure Hubich will have Obama hauled into his office for a chat this afternoon.
@Russ, Well if that's the route the Players want they're screwed plain and simple. Training camp is not the old days. It's 2 weeks and a couple games so if you are not a veteran who knows the playbook, and where knowledge is power well a career at Dick Sports in Jerkwater, USA awaits these guys. It was sitting right there for the Players and they should have been pounding this when it was -40. It's summer and people want their football games. I want to go to the Rider games, and watch the rest on TV, but if they… Read more »
Yes Hubich will rap his knuckles. He posted this in the other column. Can we agree I tend to side with Labour? If we are all in agreement then shockingly I am going to let you know I am taking the side of the Owners. Football is supply and demand. In the grand scheme you can literally find a Football player anywhere and these guys will do anything to play. Everyon is concerned about the low salary? Put this in context that salary is for a CFLPA mandated 4 hour work day for a 6 month season. If anyone heard… Read more »
The players crying foul over the league going public with the negotiations is a bunch of garbage. Everyone knows that it was the players that leaked the negotiations to Arash and he went and reported it. Apparently Cohon must've been pretty pissed cause now this happens. What the league ought to do is allow the players to go on strike and open training camps as normal. Anyone that wants to play football can come on out. If the players think they can play the card of "lesser quality football" if replacement players are used they are sorely mistaken. It didn't… Read more »
Mangement can hold the line here because the players have no other options. There is a reason they are in the CFL,90% of the players and coaches have no where else to go. That is why they are here.
In other industry if you don't like your pay and benefits you can look elsewhere.
These guys can quit football and look for other jobs that pay more. Like Sheets in the oil field. Probably made more than with the Riders, and he was the Grey Cup MVP.
The uniqueness of the CFL being a small yet growing league, never out of the dark, but always somehow surviving, to now, expanding into brand new stadiums. Yes the CFL has always been a work in progress but finally now it seems on the verge of achieving the jump into being recognized as one of the great leagues of all time (it certainly has achieved longevity if anything). But now we are faced with the idea of a ridiculous strike or lockout. As for my opinion on this, I think the Commissionaire has taken a key step forward with a… Read more »
I hear the players in terms of the sacrifices they also made in the dark days and wanting a little more to compensate for their blood and guts on the field……they are the show. But how much is a reasonable amount of that pie? If they want to be a partner with the league and continue growth then they have to be true partners. The players might have had to take cuts over the years but whatever they were paid was income that they could report on their T-4s! However, various owners over that time period had no profit and… Read more »
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BS1jCfg7Qxc
I can't believe all the comments in favor of the owners. These guys are NOT losing money. It's all in creative manipulation of income and lots of write offs. Also how much is spent on personal services contracts to get under the salary cap. The owners are not the ones that get cut with no job security or taking the chance of being crippled for life. I DON'T like unions but I agree with them on this one
WOW ! This is NOT going to end well.
Dam – was hoping to watch some football in June / July. Guess I'll have to keep watching the games I DVR'd from last year.
Newt from YQR
To John… You must be talking about the NBA or NHL, or NFL or baseball, because if you are thinking the CFL owners are rich and making a huge profit, you are sadly mistaken. There are good reasons why you can buy a CFL team cheap, in fact there are two for sale right now in two of the biggest cities in the country BC and Toronto. If the owners were raking in the dough, those franchises would be snapped up. The reality is the CFL is never that far away from crisis, and it is scary to think about… Read more »
I think the CFL owners have taken a page right out of the play-book from Canada Post in hard-ball bargaining tactics. The players need to stay united and with their negotiators to succeed in this round of bargaining.
I would hope john that both sides are looking at cash flow….what was taken in and what was paid out…..never look at profit because that can be manipulated. I guarantee that most teams are not flush in cash….. If they were then why are they so difficult to sell? Why isnt bon jovi buying bc? And ya lets talk about those service contracts…..how much money are players making from those outside of what they are paid in the cap? Regardless this is a red herring….because very few would be getting those side contracts…. You think a marginal player or rookie… Read more »