The Canadian Football League’s players are on strike for the first time in nearly 50 years.
The league and the players association are in a labour dispute stemming from the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement Saturday at 10 p.m. Saskatchewan time. Talks broke down Saturday as the deadline approached.
CFL training camps were to have begun today but the Saskatchewan Roughriders officially cancelled their practices this morning, as did the Montreal Allouettes, Toronto Argonauts and Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
All CFL teams not in Alberta are expected to join them. Alberta’s labour laws need workers to give 72 hours notice for a strike or for the management to give 72 hours notice for a lockout.
The CFL put their proposal yesterday online in a letter to fans from commissioner Randy Ambrosie.
“The Canadian Football League Players’ Association (CFLPA) bargaining committee has informed the CFLPA membership under contract to seven of nine clubs to not report for CFL training camps on Sunday, May 15,” the CFLPA said in a media release Saturday.
No talks are currently scheduled.
The last CFL players strike was in 1974 and no games were missed that year due to the stoppage.
