Players told to stay home if no deal

Contract talks between the Canadian Football League and its players have turned ugly.

The CFL Players’ Association has instructed its players not to make travel arrangements to attend training camps when they open May 19.

The union has also informed its membership it has no intention of working past May 18, which is the date the current collective bargaining agreement is set to expire.

The CFLPA made its intentions known in a memo issued to union members.

“Do not agree to book yourself to travel prior to the 18th of May, 2019,” the CFLPA said in the memo.” If travel is already confirmed, please re-communicate to your member clubs that you will be unable to travel until the day of the 18th.

“After consulting with your team player representatives, it is our intention not to work past the 18th of May 2019 without a new signed agreement. We believe it is in everyone’s best interest to conclude collective bargaining and reach an agreement as soon as possible.

“Having said that, we have informed the league that we as a membership are not prepared to move forward with training camp under the current working conditions.”

The union also said it will communicate again with its membership prior to May18 regarding whether players should be travelling to camp.

“Prior to that, it is imperative that we all remain united on our travel dates as per the above,” it said in the memo.

Running back James Wilder Jr. of the Toronto Argonauts tweeted: “I’m moving back Florida ain’t coming back across the border till the deal is done!”

Contract talks hit a snag last Wednesday when the CFLPA announced the league had unilaterally decided to delay negotiations for two weeks. Following two days of talks in Vancouver, union executive director Brian Ramsay said the CFL set a date of April 29 as the earliest it could resume talks.

Ramsay added the league told the union it had “other priorities” to take care of in the next two weeks.