MLS deal a minimal loss for both sides, Bush says

Impact goalkeeper Evan Bush said the new collective bargaining agreement between MLS and its players represents a “minimal loss” for both sides.

The league and the MLS Players’ Association reached agreement on a new CBA Tuesday, ending 48 hours of uncertainty. The deal was ratified by the players Wednesday, paving the way for MLS to resume operations with a tournament in Orlando.

Bush, who is the Impact’s player representative on the MLS Players’ Association, spoke to the media on a video conference Wednesday and described a series of sometimes bitter negotiations that began after the players submitted their returnto-play proposal Sunday night.

“We felt it was going to be wrapped up in 24 hours, if not immediately,” Bush said. “Unfortunately, (MLS commissioner Don Garber), acting on his own judgment, decided to send back a different proposal with different force majeure language (which) would have been impossible for the players to accept.”

In addition to the force majeure issue, which would have allowed either side to back out of the CBA in the event of a disaster like the COVID -19 pandemic affecting attendance, Garber also threw in the threat of a lockout.

“It was something we’ve never experienced and it woke up a lot of players in a negative way,” Bush said.

It also resulted in the diverse MLS player pool uniting. Bush noted that not a single player showed up for voluntary individual workouts Monday or Tuesday, which may have hastened the negotiations, resulting in a new CBA that runs through the 2025 season.

“We sent a message that this affected every player,” Bush said. “It was a moment where they were threatening our livelihood.

“We’re not trumpeting a win,” Bush added. “The best way to describe it is to say it was a minimal loss for both sides. The players aren’t happy with the way things happened; the league isn’t happy with the way things happened. Buy every player can get this behind and move forward and represent their individual clubs and the league as much as possible.”

The plan is for all 26 clubs to gather in Orlando for a tournament, followed by a return to the regular season. The original proposal was for the players to be in Orlando for two months, a stretch that didn’t go over well with the players.

“That was the first concern for everyone,” said Bush, who has a wife and three children. “It’s not like a normal season where you’re away for three weeks for training camp. We’re not just leaving in a normal situation. We’re leaving our families in the midst of a global pandemic and in some markets it’s worse than others. Our market is still struggling. We have guys with families, guys with pregnant wives. There was a lot of fear and trepidation.”

The new plan has teams away from home for three to six weeks, depending on whether they can train in their home markets. Dates and other details about the Orlando event are expected next week.