The CFL Players’ Association has made strides towards a COVID-19 collective bargaining agreement with the league office.
The full CFLPA memo sent to union membership updated the process towards a return to play CBA on Friday:
Gentlemen,
We are making progress and are currently awaiting communication from the league. As a result, we have rescheduled our meeting with team player representatives until the league communicates with us.
The government has still not responded to financial support, nor have they approved the return to play protocol. When we hear from the league, we will immediately reschedule our conference call with the player representatives. We will then convene a town hall meeting to provide you all with a full report.
Both sides are still awaiting word on whether federal government aid comes their way amid the coronavirus pandemic. The positive response from Health Canada officials regarding the proposed Winnipeg hub city protocols is encouraging, however, the feds continue to take their time on the monetary aspect.
The office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage, Steven Guilbeault provided the following statement to 3DownNation:
Our government recognizes how important the CFL and professional sport is for many Canadians, as well as a display of incredible Canadian athletes. The government is still examining the CFL’s request for financial assistance and any new information will be shared in due course.
There have already been three self-imposed deadlines pass — July 23, which was shifted to July 24 and July 31 — without any final decision on whether the CFL will play or not and it’s about to stretch into the third week of August.
