CFL’S first day of labour talks ‘productive’

TORONTO For Jeff Keeping and the CFL Players’ Association, it was a good opening day.

The players and CFL held their first collective bargaining session on Monday. The two sides are scheduled to meet again Tuesday.

“It was productive,” said Keeping, the CFLPA president. “This was more about introducing the two groups and laying the groundwork for how we’re going to move forward.”

The present agreement is scheduled to expire in May before the start of training camp. That leaves the two sides with roughly two months to reach a deal.

“Yeah, we have enough time,” Keeping said. “We just need to get the groups together and keep working.”

Senior adviser Ken Georgetti and executive director Brian Ramsay led the union into Monday’s talks as chairman and vice-chairman, respectively. Keeping, second vice-president Solomon Elimimian, third vice-president Rolly Lumbala, treasurer Peter Dyakowski and player reps John Bowman (Montreal), Bear Woods (Toronto) and Chad Rempel (Winnipeg) rounded out the CFLPA’S unit.

Ramsay said it’s important that active players be involved in bargaining.

“This is an agreement that’s a player’s agreement,” he said. “The more players are a part of that, I think that’s a better thing for everybody involved.”

The CFL’S bargaining team is again led by Stephen Shamie, the league’s general counsel. CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie is expected to participate in the opening bargaining sessions.

Rounding out the league’s player relations committee are Scott Mitchell (CEO, Hamilton Tiger-cats), Roger Greenberg (co-owner, Ottawa Redblacks), Rick Lelacheur (B.C. Lions president) and Wade Miller (Winnipeg Blue Bombers president/ceo).

League representatives didn’t speak after Monday’s session.