SUNDAY CFLPA STATEMENT
VERBATIM:
The CFL Players’ Association and President Scott Flory feel that it is important to clarify a number of points and outline specific information from 3 separate documents issued by the CFL.
The first was a direct letter to every Veteran Player, the second ‘An Open Letter to Canadian Football League fans’ and the third ‘CBA Myths and Facts’, the latter 2 posted directly to cfl.ca.
I have also included other information as per the links below, where the League has made statements that are now contrary to their negotiating position.
In spite of the League ambushing the PA Executive and strategically breaking the trust of our media agreement during our last attempt to negotiate a new deal on Wednesday May 21st, the CFLPA Executive Negotiation Committee have utilized our time wisely and are now anxious to get back behind closed doors to negotiate in good faith, a deal that will get both parties a fair and
equitable CBA that will stand for many years to come.
FACT: Mark Cohon boasts about 6 of 8 healthy franchises at Grey Cup 2012.
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/cfl/cfl-boasts-6-healthy-franchises-says-commissioner-1.1201438
FACT: Players’ salaries are the only regulated form of spending on the teams. Profitability varies due to differing business models, which is why our proposal is based on revenue.
FACT: The Commissioners argument that we cannot compare ourselves to the other major professional sports leagues is just not true, we are all the same, just on a different scale. Their real issue isn’t a salary cap tied to revenue, it’s a league wide system of revenue sharing so all the teams can exist through good times and bad.
FACT: Our initial monetary proposal would still allow for a distribution of an additional $1M per Club.
FACT: Winnipeg’s revenues grew by $7.5M to $24.2M with a new stadium, a rise of approximately 45%. We can only assume Hamilton’s and Ottawa’s revenues will be comparable.
FACT: The standard set by the other North American sports leagues is the salary cap is approx. 50% of total gross revenue. Our initial ask is for 25.7% of Winnipeg’s revenue, 33.6% of Edmonton’s revenue, and 18% of Saskatchewan’s revenue!
FACT: Our proposal provides for a salary cap of 35% of revenues. This percentage is based on a league wide average that excludes the high and low teams as outlined in the 2013 financial statements provided by the CFL. This does not include the new TSN TV revenue!!!!
Scott Flory
CFL Players’ Association – President
Rod, how about ask Scott or some of the Rider vets (mainly the o-line vets) about only letting certain players vote on the strike vote. Players are being pressured and bullied into voting in favour of a strike or not being allowed to vote at all.The great thing about the CFL is you see the players around town (Earls, BP's, etc) and you are able to talk to them and see what they think about all this CBA talk but sometimes the players say things that they probably shouldn't. Just ask what some of the american vets think about a… Read more »
Time to bring in an experienced mediator and get the deal done. Compromise on both sides will get this matter settled and put things back on track.
What does it matter if the players that are going to vote no don't get a strike vote anyway? Training camps will be open anyway so if these guys want to play football they can do so. What's Flory going to do about it? Hold guns to their heads like the corrupt Quebec unions and their mafia tactics? Nope.
FACT – the CFLPA are the EMPLOYEES – like any free market if you can find a better deal than go to it boys. FACT – Supply and Demand. There are 5 private owners for 4franchises with ZERO lineup for other guys wanting to join the club. They pay the bills….like it or not Employees are "bills" same as a heating bill or insurance which is why I have said for years Players owe nothing to organizations other than the work to rule – 4 hour day, seasonal employment and when you get a better opportunity ala Scott Schultz etc.,… Read more »
….oh and for the record you need only look at the CEO of the Riders for your inspiration. 3 years as a Rider O-Lineman when he probably could have played for 15 years. He took a Teaching job and parlayed that into a CEO job with School Divisions.
Football is a means to an end, and to think otherwise is naive.
Y'er Welcome
Obama
Good lord… if the PA wants to play through the media they need to get someone with a clue what they're doing to craft their message.
And keep Flory as far away from microphones, camera's and keyboards as possible.
Winnipeg’s revenues went up $7.5M and their expenditures went up $5.2M compared to 2012 when they lost 800k that year a fact lost in the CFLPA’s “facts" Edmonton’s revenues increased 200k and they cut $1.6M from their expenses compares to 2012 when they essentially broke even, another “fact” lost on the CFLPA Crunching the numbers the salary cap the CFLPA is looking for is $6.2M. It will never happen because they are privately owned teams, but it would be interesting to see what percentage of revenue the $6.2M would be of other teams? If they are asking for a 50/50… Read more »
These players do not get it. Read the internet statements and blog comments. These are your hard core fans and you can hardly find any to support the players. Those of us that have been around awhile remember the hard times and when the Riders were pretty well the only team propping up the whole CFL. This community owned team was propping up the whole league. Making statements like the CFL is exactly the same as the other leagues is plain moronic. 3 of our successful teams are community run. Revenue is subsidized by the community that keeps the team… Read more »
Many of Scott Flory's "Facts" make him look stupid. He conveniently ignores anything that doesn't work for him.
6 of 8 franchises profitable means that 2 franchises are not stable. I expect Ottawa will be a few be a few years to reach stability as well. Why does he think we can just ignore the finances of 1/3 of the teams in the league?
The most annoying "facts" are his focus on the revenues of the three richest clubs. Again it ignores any concerns of the bottom three clubs.
Thanks,
Dan
Boy,
Did the players ever pick the wrong president! Further to this, the whole membership should take a good look at their leadership and realize that they are in way over their heads.
Y'er Welcome
Biden
It is quite apparent by this letter that the CFLPA knows that they are losing the PR battle. They are trying for one last ditch effort to turn things around before the next round of negotiations Wednesday. If that fails, which is looking like it will, their negotiating position will be peanuts. No complaints here, this stupidity has to end. NOW.
Gunderson
How many concussions did Flory have over the years?
"CFL is to the NFL as triple A baseball is to MLB. Triple A baseball doesn’t have revenue sharing!" CFLPA should forget the comparison’s to NFL, NBA, and NHL let alone their revenue sharing models. The above analogy is the most accurate relationship I’ve seen. Guys who are 1 step away from the majors play AAA ball, guys who just fall short of the NFL come to Canada and the CFL. Guys in AAA ball who make decent $’s play into their mid to late 30’s, CFL players who make good $ play into their mid to late 30’s. CFL… Read more »
Why is one of the facts based on an assumption that Ottawa and Hamilton will be profitable because they have new stadiums? That Ottawa franchise sure worked out the the last two times didnt it? Winnipeg will be lucky to make any payments on their stadium of any relevance based on what I'm seeing. Scott should look back and see how the City of Regina workers fared a few years ago during their work stoppage. I'm sure there are other similar examples too.
And a new term was born… "Flory Facts". If this is the leadership that the CFLPA has at the table then they will be lucky to get what the league currently has on the table. The league has struggled financially to exist for its entire life (owners can be blamed for many of the missteps) and for the first time in history there are signs pointing to a chance at league-wide profitability. Why do the players think this justifies a 50% increase to their salaries in an instant? FACT: Flory, you are screwed. Sign the deal on Wednesday and move… Read more »
I would like to know where all the fans work who dump on the players wanting a raise. If the boss charges $75 to send you out and you get $20 … then he now charges $90 and offers you $22 … and you are told you are greedy for not accepting it??? That he would go broke paying you more. Do the math on your own job and then see what you would accept.
I think the fans are the greedy ones … we want our football NOW … players be damned.
oldriderfan fans aren’t dumping on players because they want a raise, they are dumping on players because their raise demands are far reaching from reasonable In the example you give, you are just like the players. You show a large increase in revenue and little increase in salary bump, however you forget the business owners utilities will rise, property taxes rise on your office, other costs such as supplies and your cost of goods to sell, etc will rise. Plus why shouldn’t the guy who is investing in the business and taking all the financial risk (and the risk of… Read more »
Get your head out of the sand.
@Old Rider Fan,
I can empathize. I worked for a company many years ago. Actually that company today is a front of the line jock sniffing kind that loves to hire Riders, and parlay that into supposed extra business.
When I found out she was billing out for example $100/hour, sending me to do that work and not paying me a quarter of that…..within a few months I found a new job.
Which is why the Players are screwed. Where else can they go?
I'm pro-player, but it looks like the bargaining committee has some problems. From what I can tell they suffer from bad timing, and some problems with the financial models they used. Two major issues. Sports leagues aren't like regular businesses, they have strange monopolies and deal in a different regulatory environment. Second, the CFL isn't like other sports leagues (maybe MLS). From a players standpoint, I'd do two things. First, get the best deal possible in the short term (probably close to what is floating around now, on a one year deal if you can swing it), and recognize that… Read more »
@oldriderfan
Thanks for your statement, oh so true, straight forward, and to the point !