Sask. Roughriders players show up to practice despite labour dispute
The Saskatchewan Roughriders went on with practice on Monday at Griffiths Stadium in Saskatoon despite CFL players rejecting the new collective bargaining agreement with the league.
"There's not too much of an update right now. We had a call to go over the next steps from the vote," said Riders kicker Brett Lauther, the team's representative to the CFL Players' Association.
"Both sides want to get something done and obviously, the membership didn't think the ratification was good enough."
Lauther says he would have thought the deal would have gone through, from what he heard from other teams across the league. He thought it seemed like a "pretty fair deal across the board" but acknowledged some sticking points.
The CFLPA executive had recommended acceptance of the deal, which featured increases to the CFL salary cap and minimum salary. It also included a revenue-sharing formula for the union and gave players a chance to have the final year of their contracts guaranteed up to 50 per cent.
While the CBA called for a return to padded practices — one hour weekly during the regular season to a maximum of 12 — it extended medical coverage for retired players to five years from three.
The deal also called for the number of Canadian starters to increase from seven to eight but that would include a nationalized Canadian — an American who has spent either five years in the CFL or at least three with the same team. In addition, three other nationalized Canadians could play up to 49 per cent of all snaps on either side of the ball.
That bothered many current Canadian players, to the point where there were legitimate concerns about whether the CBA would be ratified.
"Guys are in different stages of their career, in (their) lives, the yes or no is dependent upon what they want to do," Lauther said.
"If there is a strike or potential loss of games it's not good for anyone or the league."
Coach Craig Dickenson was keeping his focus on the field.
"We know there is stuff going on behind closed doors and we respect the process and we just keep rolling on," he said.
Dickenson wasn't surprised the players showed up to practice at Griffiths Stadium.
"These guys want to play, they love football and that's why they're here."
The Roughriders are scheduled to play the Winnipeg Blue Bombers next week, but if a deal isn't done shortly players could start missing practice.
"Obviously we're not just going to continue to keep practicing if nothing gets done in the short time," said Lauther.
"We'll see what happens in the next couple days."
With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.