In a year when Major League Soccer has an opportunity to potentially capitalize on World Cup, the American football league is instead teetering on the brink of a work stoppage that could put the 2010 season in jeopardy.
The league and players union has set a deadline of Friday, Feb. 12 to reach a new agreement. A previous deadline of Feb. 1 was extended to the end of this week, but the progress in the days since appears minimal.
The league and union have been struggling to come to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement. On January 31, the five-year deal between the two parties expired, but the sides felt enough progress had been made to warrant an extension.
However, a new obstacle has appeared. A snow storm is expected to hit Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, threatening the next negotiating session scheduled for the two sides.
When they do get back to work on an agreement, the biggest issues that need to be settled are related to the league’s stance on players’ free agency and guaranteed contracts.
Free agency was not a viable part of MLS for the players in the old agreement because the league negotiates contracts with players, not teams.
The league also deviates from FIFA guidelines by not guaranteeing the contracts of players, meaning someone cut early in the year is potentially unpaid and out of work for the remainder of the season.
FIFA’s regulations state, “A contract cannot be unilaterally terminated during the course of a season.” However, the global governing body of the sport has declined to get involved in the dispute between the union and the league in the US.
Players have reported to training camp in anticipation of a deal getting done in time to start the 2010 season as scheduled on March 25.
Neither side wants to concede on what each views as an important stance, but they also know the peril the league will find itself in if there is a work stoppage of any kind.
While it may be considered slow in the grand scheme of things, there’s no arguing that the MLS presence in the US sports landscape has been growing steadily.
Any work stoppage at this point in the league’s development would likely be fatal, and in a World Cup year, would be most unfortunate when they league has a chance to capitalize on the sport playing on its grandest stage.
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I am so sick of athletes complaining about their work conditions. These guys need to suck it up. Have they not noticed the double digit unemployment rate in the US. It’s not like us common folks have guaranteed contracts either. Shut up and play.
Dear Mr. Goebbels(Dan Garber):
MLS structure violates the rules of FIFA; MLS should not own the players, the clubs should. The salary cap should be removed.
It is time to take MLS to the next level, and, probably, you are not the person to take MLS there.
Really, Ivan? You’re comparing a sports league commissioner to the propaganda chief of the Nazis?
I guess the Nazis just get a bad rap then and really weren’t all that dangerous.
STORY UPDATE
As was anticipated, the MLS negotiating session with its player union that was slated to take place Wednesday was cancelled as the Washington DC area was buried in a massive snow that closed airports and nearly all of the US government offices in the region.
No public statement has been made to indicate when Wednesday’s session may be rescheduled or if the postponement of this session will warrant an extension on the Friday, February 12 deadline the two sides had set for reaching a new collective bargaining agreement.
Don Garber should be imprisoned for human rights violations for the way he treats his players. This failure of a Commissioner has the nerve to ask for a $3 Million Salary Raise while his players are make $15,000 a year?
STORY UPDATE II
With the weather causing postponement of negotiating sessions, the sides have agreed to push their deadline back to February 25 to reach a deal.
It seems to me the owners are on the right side of the argument here. Sure, a ton of MLS players make crap wages, but so what, MLS is approaching a milestone here, if these guys want to secure their future, they need to play ball this year. The owners and investors in the league have stuck their necks out financially, the players need to do the same on the pitch. It’s ironic how some of the most vocal players in the union are the ones making the most JACK. Seems like some Sounder’s goalkeeper needs to keep his trap shut or open his wallet, he’s not that good anyway, besides, he’s old and crusty. Can him and some other old farts making too much dough and spread the wealth.