How a CFL labour announcement could transform pro sports in Canada

CFLPA-Brian-Ramsay-Solomon-Elimimian

Every groundswell has to start somewhere, and often its beginnings are under the radar.

Thursday morning in downtown Ottawa, the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), Canada’s largest labour organization, announced that its delegates have voted in the CFL’s players’ association as an official affiliate.

Hold up, though. Before you swipe to another story — about an $80,000 prop wager or the Coyotes’ farewell to Arizona — let me explain why this should actually interest you: This seemingly dry labour alliance has the potential to spark something we haven’t seen before in professional sports in this country, and may very well end up transforming the dynamic between players and owners, changing how CBA negotiations unfold.

In allying with the CLC, the CFLPA and its membership of 650 now immediately has exposure to the Congress’s three million members and 49 other unions for support. How can that tangibly help? Well, the CLC brings a helluva bigger punch in lobbying for change.

The range of possibilities opened up by that increased advocacy is vast. It includes the significant stuff, like long-term medical coverage for injury — workers’ compensation for broken athletes who may today find themselves unceremoniously dumped after suffering a life-changing injury. But it also helps with the mundane.

How often do you hear of an athlete missing chunks of training camp because of work permit issues or immigration hiccups? Teams usually handle those matters, and sometimes they are simply unable to navigate the legal maneuvering expeditiously. The CLC wields clout and influence and can be a valuable player resource, with a stronger network than individual players’ unions both federally and provincially.

As someone involved on the players’ side of the talks between the union and Congress explained to me: “The CLC gives us all extra support when we need to be heard. We’ve got a better backing.”

Regardless of the sport and the economic disparities from league to league, athletes deal with many of the same issues. As a result, their unions are usually on the same page when it comes to fair and reasonable working conditions and the aforementioned workers’ comp — the latter protection being one the CFL has fought against in court. Don’t be surprised, then, if we see other pro sports unions follow the lead of the football players, creating their own partnerships between the CLC and the athletes who suit up for their teams north of the border.

The NHLPA, for instance, has caught wind of what’s afoot. They’ll be keeping a close eye on how the dealings go with the football guys.

“The NHLPA has been in contact with the CFLPA regarding the CLC and we expect to have further dialogue with the CFLPA regarding their new affiliation,” says Jonathan Weatherdon, a spokesperson for the NHLPA.

It’s easy for this morning’s announcement to get lost in the shuffle. The playoffs in puck and hoops await, the coaching firing and hiring carousel is underway, the Blue Jays are above .500 and getting legitimate starting pitching — shoot, the NFL draft is a week away and we’ll actually all finally get to see what Bill Belichick’s board looks like.

You also may be dog-tired of hearing about the squabbles between billionaires and millionaires. Again, understandable.

But every groundswell starts somewhere. And today’s beginning could go a long way toward determining how leagues and players eventually go about their off-field business.