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Canadas largest private-sector union, which is trying to organize major junior hockey players across the country, is scheduled to meet on Monday with Ontarios minister of labour to discuss the working conditions faced in the Canadian Hockey League by its 1,700 mostly teenaged players. Jerry Dias, Unifors president, said he plans to ask Ontario Labour Minister Kevin Flynn to establish a task force charged with scrutinizing the business of junior hockey. Dias told TSN that when he met with Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne three weeks ago at Queens Park, Wynne brought up the issue of working conditions in junior hockey with him. Dias said Wynne told him she is interested in learning more about whether players get a fair share of the games profits. Flynns spokesman Craig MacBride declined to comment. Wynnes spokeswoman Zita Astravas said both the premier and Flynn have already met with Dias. "Discussions covered a wide range of topics," she said. "Unifor is an important partner and our government looks forward to a positive relationship with labour." Two years after a similar attempt to organize CHL players fizzled out, Unifor is trying again. The union, which represents about 300,000 workers in various industries, says major junior players are underpaid and exploited by the owners of junior teams that have become hugely profitable in recent years. The CHL says thats not true. Players dont receive more compensation because the leagues consider them student athletes, said CHL commissioner David Branch. Many players are also eligible for valuable scholarship programs when they finish playing junior hockey, he said in an interview. Dias said Unifor staff have spent the past few weeks trying to determine how governments in the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, Michigan and Pennsylvania -- states where eight of the CHLs 60 teams play -- view major junior players. Canadian students who attend U.S. schools, such as the University of Michigan, obtain student visas to travel across the border. But NHL player agent Anton Thun said that since OHL players have "P1" work visas, its unclear how Branch and other league officials can consider those players as student athletes. "I dont profess to know the immigration laws," Branch said. "I dont know what you need to facilitate a player playing in the U.S." Thun said the three major junior leagues in Canada are desperate to keep their player costs down at the same time as the leagues collective profits have surged. "These leagues have gone from being mom and pop businesses in the 1980s to hugely profitable money-making private businesses that sell millions of dollars in tickets, hundreds of thousands of dollars in jerseys and sponsorships and TV rights. The truth is junior teams are no longer what they say they are." Most CHL teams are private companies and dont disclose their finances, though Branch said roughly one-third of teams lose money. He declined to provide any estimates on how much money cash-rich or cash-poor teams generate. The Kitchener Rangers, who are publicly owned, play in a city with a population of 219,000. In August 2013, the team reported total revenue of $6.2 million for the previous season, up from $5.6 million. The Rangers sold $470,000 worth of team merchandise alone. One of the lures of playing major junior hockey is the chance to earn a scholarship that can later go to pay for a players post-secondary education. The packages can add up to more than $40,000, depending on how long a player plays in the CHL. Thun said a union might help spur a discussion about simply paying players that money in cash. "Why not just give it to them, and let them and their families decide whether to invest it, or spend it on a car, or something else that they want or need," Thun said. Branch, however, said the parents of players have been supportive of the scholarship packages, even though it expires if a player doesnt go to school within 18 months of their junior career. In a focus group of about 16 families of OHL players that was conducted five years ago, most parents said they supported the time limit, Branch said. "What if the kids indiscriminately spend the money, what are they left with?" Branch said. "Parents have suggested there is a value to putting a framework in place to encourage players to go on to a post-secondary education." Branch said hes unsure what it might mean for teams if they were forced to begin paying a minimum wage to players. Unifors Dias said an average 40-hour work week adds up to about 2,000 hours a year. If players in Ontario were paid the minimum wage of $11 per hour for half the year, it would work out to about $11,000 per player, or at least $220,000 a year for each team. Its unclear how much teams now pay for players, but in recent years, the OHL paid players $55 a week. The league recently introduced new guidelines where teams re-imburse players for expenses instead of paying them a set weekly amount. Not everyone would embrace the concept of a union. Bob Stellick, a sports marketing executive whose son Robert played two years in the OHL, said many parents would shrug off the idea of a union. "I dont think $50 a week really makes any difference for most families," said Stellick, whose Toronto company has produced public service announcements for the CHL. "The key for parents is the type of experience their son gets. If the player doesnt play to family expectations, isnt drafted, gets traded once or twice, and doesnt complete high school, then yes the family would be sour." Award-winning journalist Rick Westhead is TSNs Senior Correspondent for TSNs platforms - TSN, TSN Radio, TSN.ca and TSN GO. He has covered a wide variety of sports issues for a slate of leading publications, among them the Toronto Star, Bloomberg News, Canadian Press, Globe and Mail, New York Times, and Saturday Night Magazine. Earlier this year, Westhead was part of a team that won the prestigious Project of the Year at the National Newspaper Awards. He was also honoured with the Toronto Stars Reporter of the Year Award in 2007. Share your comments with Rick Westhead on Twitter at @rwesthead. Mike Singletary Jersey .com) - One point guard will return, while another will sit when the Minnesota Timberwolves visit American Airlines Center to take on the Dallas Mavericks. Gale Sayers Jersey . The turf is scheduled to give way to actual grass that is bright green, so we dont have to complain any more—we just have to wait a few years. Instead, do feel free to complain if the roof is closed for any reason other than to allow a game to be played. http://www.officialauthenticbearsproshop.com/Youth-Devin-Hester-Bears-Jersey/ .B. -- Canadas Rachel Homan had ideal preparation for the playoffs at the Ford World Curling Championships with a pair of hard-fought wins over tenacious opponents Thursday. Tom Waddle Jersey . -- The guys in green raced off the court and into the locker room where they danced and sang, compared whose shot was most likely to end up featured on "One Shining Moment," and checked Twitter to see who was giving them a shoutout. Chicago Bears Jerseys . - Vince Carter, heading into his 17th NBA season, doesnt consider age a big issue anymore.HOUSTON - The Texans are scrambling to find a quarterback.Coach Bill OBrien confirmed Monday that Ryan Fitzpatrick suffered a broken leg in Sundays loss to the Colts and will miss the rest of the season. He also said rookie backup Tom Savage suffered an undisclosed injury of his own and will miss at least this Sundays game against Baltimore.The Texans have lost all three quarterbacks who were on the opening day roster since Ryan Mallet went down last month with a torn pectoral muscle after his second start replacing Fitzpatrick.No, I havent, OBrien said when asked if he has been through a situation like this. Thats the NFL. Injuries happen. The next guy has to step up whether the guys in the building at the time or is not in the building. The next guy has to step up and be ready to go.With Savage ruled out, OBrien has a choice to make at quarterback between Thaddeus Lewis and Case Keenum, who was signed on Monday.Lewis was signed last month. As a starter in Buffalo, he was 2-3 in 2013 and at least has that experience to lean on despite learning a new system.A lot better than I was when I first got here, Lewis responded when asked about his grasp of the offence after just three weeks. Its part of the job so you make sure you can understand as much as you can understand and the things youre not comfortable with you just let them know so you can work toward your strengths. I know I can get out there and operate and be efficient.Keeenum re-joins the team after spending the first 14 weeks of the season on the St.dddddddddddd Louis Rams practice squad. He was cut by the Texans in preseason but is now back to bolster their depth chart and possibly start. Keenum took over for Matt Schaub in 2013 but went 0-8 down the stretch.I think theres a definite advantage to him having been with us, OBrien said of Keenum. He was with us for a good amount of time. He was with us when we installed the offence and was with us in training camp . I think theres a definite advantage there.OBrien said the decision on the starter will be made early this week but was clear that regardless of the choice the game plan will have to be altered saying the team would not overload the new quarterback.Fitzpatrick had an up-and-down season after starting the first nine games and leading the team to a 4-5 record. He was replaced by Mallett, who went 1-1 before being lost for the season. Savage hits the injury list without getting to start a game.The result leaves the team on the outside looking in at the AFC wild card race and preparing to play with its third starting quarterback of the season.Its the nature of the game, nature of the beast. Its something that around here weve been through in the past, centre Chris Myers said. Weve just got to move on and its next man up. Thats the way it is at every position and unfortunately this year its been at the quarterback position. 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