Jamie Nye: Workers’ comp a priority for CFL players

The CFLPA mandate is clear when it comes to their pending negotiation on a new collective bargaining agreement with the league.

It may not have to do with raising the salary cap by a large sum but getting injury coverage is at the top of their list of priorities.

Wednesday, members of the CFLPA including executive director Brian Ramsay as well as player reps from the Roughriders Jovon Johnson and Thaddeus Coleman met with ministers and the director of the Saskatchewan Workers Compensation Board.

Long-term injuries suffered by players in the CFL are not covered after one full year from the injury by the league.

Instead, the weight gets put on the health care system or on the players themselves to pay up for the rehab and necessary medical care.

The players are having to negotiate this with the league and this is going to be a big fight if the players want to get more out of the league for player’s health coverage.

Meanwhile, the players are pushing governments to remove the exclusion for pro athletes from workers compensation in Canada.

And we’re about to hear a lot more on this topic in the months leading up to the collective bargaining agreement’s expiration.