Thursday, November 1, 2012

Georges Laraque's Car Sabotaged - CHL Union Organizing Related?

NHL enforcer, Green Party of Canada Deputy Leader, animal rights activist, vegan entrepreneur, and now Executive Director of the new Canadian Hockey League Players Association, Georges Laraque has never been afraid to tread where the treading gets tough.

Two days ago, someone loosened the lug nuts on his hybrid vehicle, causing him to lose control on the highway. Thankfully, no injuries resulted.

This comes with news today that the players of the Sherbrooke Phoenix will become the first team to offically join the CHLPA, which seeks to represent junior hockey players.

Junior hockey players normally receive nominal, though variable, compensation, often considered to be below minimum wage. According to one report, a ridiculous $35 a week, plus some expenses, for the untold hours the players spend playing, traveling and training.

At least one other team will be voting soon and the union is using a range of strategies in attempts to line up the participation of players from other teams across the country.

Against this backdrop, a bizarre series of stories has appeared in the Toronto Sun and other media, where the identity of a CHLPA representative is questioned, although according to the CHLPA website and twitter feed, the person in question is to be interviewed on TSN today.

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