It seems that Major League Soccer and its players have worked out a last minute deal, at least temporarily, that will see them extend their bargaining sessions until 12th February in an attempt to avoid a potential work stoppage.

The North American football league’s five-year labour contract expires on 31st January and its players have been worried that management would lock them out the next day. If this were the case, it would be Major League Soccer’s first work stoppage and it would be at a very inopportune time as the league is still trying to grow after as it gets ready to enter its 15th season.

MLS was launched in America in 1996, which was two years after the nation hosted the World Cup and the sport was very popular with fans.  The players and management hit the bargaining table on 26-27th January at the league’s head offices, but they couldn’t bang out an acceptable deal.

While most of the negotiating as been going on behind closed doors and the media hasn’t had much to report on, MLS commissioner Don Garber and the players’ union released a joint statement which said, "While we still have areas of disagreement, the talks have been constructive and both parties believe it makes sense to continue to work hard to reach agreement. This extension provides both MLS and the players the opportunity to continue our discussions while clubs are in training camps."

It seems MLS players are under the impression they’re underpaid and they would also like more freedom of movement within the 16 team league once their contracts have expired.  They have a point as the union stated that the average salary for an MLS player was $147,945 at the beginning of last season. However, the median, which is the point at which an equal amount of players make above and below, was just $88,000 for 323 players who were listed under contract.

The players want to rearrange the league’s single-entity structure, in which all of them are signed to contracts with the league itself instead of with the individual teams. The union also wants to do something about the lack of guaranteed contracts for its players as it claims approximately 80 per cent of players’ deals fall under that category. Union officials also state that contracts are routinely terminated by the league.

Union executive director Bob Foose said that the players’ union and MLS have come to the conclusion that a new deal won’t be able to be reached by 1st February. But he also said the two parties will continue to meet and negotiate up until 12th February to see if something can be worked out that both sides can live with. He added that in the meantime business will go on as usual within the league and MLS players should be reporting to training camp as scheduled. The new season is set to begin on 25th March as the expansion team Philadelphia Union visit the Seattle Sounders.

Most of the teams in the league aren’t making money and while the players realise MLS can’t afford to pay the types of salaries that are running rampant in the rest of the world, mainly Europe; they do want their fair share of the spoils.

But in this particular case it seems that money is actually less of an issue than the restrictive and unguaranteed nature of the contracts. At the moment, MLS basically tells players how much they can earn and for how long as well as where they can play for how long. However, the union want a little more say in the matter.

With the league still trying to build a solid foundation in North America, a strike or lockout could prove fatal and both sides know it, so it’s likely that something will be signed, sealed, and delivered before all is said and done.

 

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