CFL players vote to ratify new CBA

CFL players voted to ratify the tentative collective bargaining agreement, the CFLPA announced Thursday.

The league and the union agreed to the new deal earlier Thursday. The CFL's board of governors also has to ratify the CBA.

"We are pleased that players have now ratified a new collective bargaining agreement between the CFL and CFLPA," commissioner Randy Ambrosie said in a statement. "The CFL's board of governors will conduct its ratification vote shortly.

"We look forward to a successful season - including preseason games this weekend - and a long and productive partnership with our players."

The agreement includes a ratification bonus for players worth around $1.25 million, up from the CFL's previous $1 million offer, according to 3DownNation's John Hodge.

The lack of a ratification bonus in the first union-approved proposal reportedly was one of the main reasons players voted it down.

The brief work stoppage was the CFL's first since 1974. Seven of the nine teams went on strike after the CBA expired on May 15, with the Edmonton Elks and Calgary Stampeders prohibited from joining the rest of the league's stoppage due to Alberta's labor laws.

The regular season begins June 9 with a matchup between the Montreal Alouettes and Stampeders. The preseason will kick off on Friday.