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
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."