CFLPA files written notice to begin bargaining new CBA with CFL

Photo courtesy: CFLPA

The Canadian Football League Players’ Association has filed a written notice to bargain with the CFL and its nine member clubs.

Under provincial labour laws in Canada, a notice to bargain must be filed by one negotiating party in order to begin the collective bargaining process.

“The CFLPA bargaining committee and player representatives have been working hard and preparing to begin a new round of collective negotiations since last year,” said CFLPA executive director Brian Ramsay in a statement. “We have now provided written notice to the CFL that we are prepared to officially begin working together, in good faith, towards a new and fair agreement.”

The existing collective agreement between the CFL and CFLPA was ratified prior to the 2019 season and it was amended prior to the 2021 season to help facilitate a safe return under pandemic restrictions. The current agreement expires on May 14, 2022.

The collective bargaining process begins with a notice to bargain, which is a written notification given by either the employer or the union requiring the other party to commence collective bargaining for the purpose of renewing or revising a collective agreement or entering into a new collective agreement.

One of the issues that could be addressed in negotiations is player transiency, which has reached extremely high levels since one-year contracts were introduced for veteran players in 2014.