CFL, players’ union are at odds regarding payment of off-season bonuses
TORONTO — The CFL has drawn the ire of the CFL Players’ Association by directing its teams to stop paying players off-season bonuses until a new collective bargaining agreement is reached next year, a tactic the union says has driven a wedge between the two sides before contract talks have even begun.
Many CFL players now receive up-front money, in the form of either a signing or roster bonus, as part of their contracts. But the league has directed clubs to refrain from doing so this off-season until after a new agreement is ratified.
The current deal expires May 15, 2019. Players can sign contracts this off-season but won’t receive any signing bonuses until after a new CBA is reached.
“I think everyone agrees we’re looking for a fair agreement at the next bargaining session for everybody but this widens that gap prior to even sitting down,” said Brian Ramsay, executive director of the CFLPA . “If the thought process is it’s meant to speed up or assist bargaining, we vehemently disagree with that.”