Jeff Keeping bests incumbent Scott Flory in CFLPA presidential election

Winnipeg offensive lineman Jeff Keeping's challenge for the presidency of the CFL Players' Association has been successful. TSN's Rick Westhead and Matthew Scianitti reported earlier this week that Keeping, who was a CFLPA vice president, was planning to challenge incumbent president Scott Flory at the union's annual general meeting in Las Vegas with the support of fellow vice presidents Marwan Hage and Jay McNeil. TSN's Gary Lawless reported Friday evening that it looked like Keeping had won that vote, and the CFLPA confirmed that (plus the hiring of Eskimos' lineman Brian Ramsay, the former treasurer, as executive director under Keeping, the ascension of Hage to first vice-president, and the election of Argos' DB Keon Raymond, Argos' OT Josh Bourke and Hamilton OG Peter Dyakowski as 2nd and 3rd VP and treasurer respectively) in a release Friday night. Here's the release:

Resentment against Flory isn't exactly new, as many CFL players were highly unhappy with the small gains they achieved in the 2014 collective bargaining agreement, the union's poor preparation for votes and public bargaining, and the decision to give up their negotiation targets instead of strike. There were also issues with the union's relationship with former lawyer Ed Molstad, which led to big shakeups last year. However, this is the first time we've seen open rebellion against Flory, and Keeping's bid didn't seem like a guaranteed success even with backing from Hage and McNeil. It looks like it's worked, though.

The big question is where Keeping will take the union. There are potentially momentous decisions ahead on several fronts, including player safety and rule changes, but the most crucial issue may be preparing the union for the next wave of CBA negotiations. While the CBA doesn't fully expire until ahead of the 2019 season, negotiations over a cap increase could be triggered as early as after this season if teams' aggregate revenues (excluding Grey Cup revenues) pass $27 million. Whether that happens or not, Keeping will have a tough challenge ahead getting the union ready for the next wave of bargaining. The CFLPA's composition (amongst other divides, it's split between veterans eager to see better CFL pay and conditions and willing to risk striking for that and younger players who just want to play and get highlight tape in an attempt to get to the NFL) doesn't make running it an easy job, and the CFL is a difficult bargaining opponent. We'll see how Keeping changes things on several fronts, but the most important goal for him may be preparing this union to gain more in the next set of CBA negotiations.