Saskatoon

Most Roughriders oppose CFL labour deal, LaBatte says

Saskatchewan Roughriders player representative Brendon LaBatte says most teammates oppose proposed labour deal, but he expects it will get ratified by the league at large.

Brendon LaBatte expects deal will be ratified

Roughriders player representative Brendon LaBatte (right) says most teammates oppose proposed labour deal. (Peter Mills/CBC)

There's little joy in the Saskatchewan Roughriders locker room over the tentative deal between CFL players and owners.

The two sides reached the agreement this weekend, but it still needs to be ratified.

Brendon LaBatte is the team's representative on the players' association.

"We've had a pretty vocal group of guys be not in favour of it, so that's the loud and the majority voice in there," LaBatte said during a break at training camp Monday in Saskatoon.

"I think ultimately the players are just going to go ahead and concede and we'll be in probably a similar situation five years from now," he said. "Hopefully we've got a lot better game plan."

Brendon LaBatte (CBC)

Defensive lineman John Chick said he doesn't have enough details yet to say exactly what he thinks of the proposed deal, but he'll likely go with the majority.

"I'm an older guy and I'd like to think I had ten more years left, but the fact of the matter is I probably don't," Chick said. "I'm in for what's best for our players."

LaBatte did not know when the deal would get put to a vote for ratification.