MLS, players get back to bargaining
League softens threat to lock out players, decides to return to the bargaining table
In one league a crisis appears averted.
In another, the crisis appears overblown — for now.
Major League Soccer and its players’ association went back to the bargaining table Tuesday after the league threatened to lock the players out this weekend, but backed off on a hardline stance that saw them declare a Tuesday deadline for the players to accept new terms.
In the Canadian Premier League, reports that players were unhappy over new developments that saw previously proposed wage deferrals turn into wage cuts were walked back on both sides.
But it appears there may be professional soccer played in North America by the time summer begins.
The MLS Players’ Association has put the league’s latest proposal to a vote, with the results expected early Wednesday. Approval of the vote would mean the round robin style tournament in Orlando would go off as expected, with teams flying to Florida to begin a two-week camp around June 24.
The Athletic and ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle have both extensively reported on the developments during the past 48 hours, pointing to the main sticking points being a newly written “force majeure” clause that was tied to attendance figures.
The clause would give the league the right to suspend payments to players if play was halted due to any number of reasons, such as a global pandemic.
That demand was reportedly dropped by the league, with the language now being more similar in nature to that of the NBA. All MLS players had boycotted training the past two days until terms were agreed upon.
MLS players proposed a 7½ per cent pay cut, which the league has also reportedly accepted.
One of the other major issues was the revenue sharing from future broadcast deals, with players slated to collect a sliding scale percentage of money above $100 million in the coming years.
Carlisle reported the league had proposed a 12½ per cent share in 2023, while the union responded with an offer of 17 per cent, down from the 25 per cent agreed to in the yet-to-be-ratified collective bargaining agreement from earlier this year.
The tournament in Florida would be played in the ESPN complex in Orlando, and would see each team play a minimum of five games, which would count toward the regular-season standings.
The hope is home games would resume later this year once local restrictions surrounding COVID-19 protocols are relaxed, with the additional hope of playing somewhere between 15 and 20 more matches.
Players would be hosted in the various hotels that populate and surround the Disney grounds, though the varying degree of quality has become a topic of consternation for some players.
Just north of the opposite corner of the U.S., the CPL is attempting to set up its own hub-city tournament model, with Victoria’s Pacific FC hosting the rest of the league, where each team would play each other once. Before that happens, the league has to quell the rising concern from its player pool.
The league previously had initiated a 25 per cent wage deferral for players — plus a cut for front office staff — but that deferral will now be a permanent 25 per cent cut, per Soccer Today host Duane Rollins.
The CPL made the initial decision without player input or consultation with the Professional Footballers Association Canada, whom the players voted to represent them as their official bargaining agents earlier this spring. The latest development again came without any communication, leading to a spate of negative social media reports.
MAXIMUM 11 MATCHES
In addition to the 25 per cent cut, an additional five per cent will be collected but dispersed through bonuses at the tournament, Rollins reported. The league is aiming for at least seven round robin games, possibly more with a knockout round, for a maximum of 11 matches.
The CPL had teams communicate with their players on Tuesday, with the PFACan expected to gauge the players’ wishes in meetings on Tuesday night.
The players’ associations reps declined to comment until they had a chance to speak with the players, but didn’t agree with the way their views had been reported previously.
They’re expected to address the situation today once all players have had a chance to offer their input.