Van Zeyl, Ticats joined by fans, other unions at solidarity gathering amidst CFL strike

Under normal circumstances, Chris Van Zeyl would've started his eighth wedding anniversary at training camp with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Tuesday.

The veteran Canadian offensive lineman did begin his day at Tim Hortons Field but not in his usual spot at right tackle. Instead, it was outside the stadium alongside teammates, fans and members of other unions in a show of solidarity for striking CFL players and their wish the league return to the bargaining table.

"My wife has always been incredibly understanding and I thank her for that," Van Zeyl said during a telephone interview. "It's not always easy to be married to someone who has to go away in the beginning of May and this year leaving her with two young children.

Fans and members of other unions, including the United Steelworkers, joined Ticats players Tuesday morning. It came three days after talks between the CFL and CFL Players' Association on a new collective bargaining agreement broke off.

That put players with seven of the league's nine teams in a legal strike position at 12:01 a.m. ET on Sunday, hours before training camps were set to open.

Only players with the Edmonton Elks and Calgary Stampeders reported for the start of camp Sunday because they weren't in a legal strike position, according to Alberta labour laws. They're expected to be legally able to strike later this week.

"We had a number of other unions come out and show solidarity," Van Zeyl said. "We can't thank them enough for everything they've done, both on social media and in showing support, as well as our fans.

"It was a player rally, it was a public show of support for our members across the league and for other unions to show their support. It was a celebration of our union and the action