It’s five years and counting for the CFL Players’ Association and executive director Brian Ramsay.
However, the global pandemic hit in 2020 and brought most everything to a standstill. Then in October 2022, Horgan resigned as B.C. Premier and was replaced by David Eby.
“There isn’t an employer in this country that’s allowed to avoid the responsibility of workplace injuries without recourse except for sports franchises,” said Ramsay. “As it currently sits, teams enjoy subsidies from taxpayers of each province, routinely placing costing on to government systems that are already overburdened and overworked.”Pro athletes are exempt from workers’ compensation coverage across Canada and it’s up to each province to determine if it will extend them coverage.
But Hefney needed additional surgeries to help restore nearly full function in his right arm. A second happened in June 2018, long after his CFL coverage expired. “As we see other opportunities to play the sport continue to flourish with new and growing leagues down south, it’s no coincidence that players are making the choice to play in leagues where coverage for workplace injuries exist,” Ramsay said. “As laws in the U.S. cover athletes, this must weigh into the decisions of players on whether to come north of the border to ply their trade.
“The current review is in the preliminary stages,” said spokeswoman Yesenia Dhott. “Before any changes, a full-scale review and extensive stakeholder consultation would be conducted. We don’t have a timeline on when this will go into the consultation phase.”Article contentThe NHL Players’ Association, National Lacrosse League Player Association, Professional Hockey Players’ Association and Professional Footballers Association of Canada are also lobbying policymakers.