Ottawa Redblacks among CFL teams not attending opening day of training camp
Posted May 15, 2022 03:42:00 PM.
Ottawa’s Canadian Football League (CFL) is among a list of other clubs around the league that will not be holding training camp on Sunday.
A spokesperson for the Ottawa Redlbacks confirmed to CityNews that the players would not be attending the opening day of training camp on Sunday, May 15.
With no agreements in place yet between the the Canadian Football League Players' Association (CFLPA) and CFL, talks have halted, and players have decided to forego training camp
Meanwhile, three CFL teams formally cancelled the start of training camp workouts Sunday after the league and its players union were unable to reach a deal on a new collective bargaining agreement. The teams are the Montreal Alouettes, Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Toronto Argonauts.
The CFL and CFLPA broke off negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement Saturday.
The last agreement, reached in 2019 and amended last year to allow the league to stage a 14-game campaign, expired at midnight on Saturday, May 14.
The union directed players from seven of the CFL's nine teams to participate in a work stoppage beginning at 12:01 a.m., May 15.
Players with the Edmonton Elks and Calgary Stampeders will report to their respective camps as they'll be in a legal strike position later this month, as per provincial labour laws.
The lone previous CFL strike came in 1974. The labour situation was resolved before the start of the season that year.
It's unclear when the CFL and CFLPA will resume negotiations.
– With files from CityNews' Dani-Elle Dubé
