Hashing things out
MLS working through dispute with players, likely will avoid lockout
Major League Soccer and its players association have worked through their labor dispute and are on track to avoid a lockout that could have been catastrophic for the league.
The owners have reportedly backed off attendance terms they sought to add to a force majeure clause, initially suggesting MLS and the MLS Players Association could invoke the clause if five teams suffered a 25% drop in attendance. Players had already agreed to adding a force majeure clause to the Collective Bargaining Agreement for the first time, but the attendance clause could easily be invoked because of the varying ways attendance is counted and players took offense to the language, according to ESPN and The Athletic.
ESPN analyst and former MLS player Taylor Twellman was the first to report Tuesday morning the attitude surrounding negotiations had become “cautiously optimistic” and a lockout was likely to be avoided.
MLS owners agreed to a revised force majeure clause structured more like the NBA’s CBA and can be invoked based on the cancellation of games rather than a decline in ticket sales, according to ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle.
MLS owners and the players also were negotiating a revenue share agreement, known as “Incremental Media Revenue” (IMR), that would use increase in media revenue expected under a new television agreement to increase the player salary budget and general allocation money. The players had dropped their IMR proposal from 25% to 17%, while MLS offered 12.5%, according to The Athletic and ESPN.
It’s unclear how exactly the two sides sorted out the revenue share issue, but MLSPA discussed an updated offer with representatives from each team and began voting on the plan Tuesday. All player votes are expected to be counted on Wednesday before the plan bounces back to MLS for potential final approval, according to The Athletic.
The two sides had reportedly agreed to the safety protocol and format for a tournament to be held at ESPN Wide World of Sports on Disney World property in Orlando without fans in attendance.
Teams are expected to arrive in Orlando for the tournament on June 24 and remain for up to six weeks. Players can be granted medical or family exemptions and players with pregnant partners can skip the tournament, according to The Athletic. The website added no family members will be allowed to attend the tournament and players who don’t have waivers must participate or face sanctions.
The plan differs from the National Women’s Soccer League, which allowed any of its players to opt out of its tournament in Utah without penalty.
The MLS season was suspended March 12 in response to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. At the time, teams had only played the first two games of the season.
The league and the players association have been negotiating terms for an Orlando-based tournament for several weeks.
MLS first announced it was exploring possible “changes to player compensation” in May due to the financial toll caused by the extended suspension of play.
The league approved voluntary small group training sessions outdoors last Thursday. Teams must follow a safety protocol, which had to be approved through the league before these sessions could begin.
Some teams, including Orlando City, were approved to start group workouts Monday, but the Lions and all other MLS players skipped training Monday and Tuesday during tense labor negotiations.