Welcome to Gaia! ::

MLS players not striking yet as deal expires

By RONALD BLUM, AP Sports Writer
Feb 25, 8:33 pm EST

NEW YORK (AP)—Major League Soccer players say they won’t go on strike just yet, despite the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement.

The deal between the league and the players’ union was set to expire Thursday night after players balked at a third short-term extension.

The sides, whose five-year contract initially was due to expire Jan. 31, have not met since Monday’s session in Washington, D.C.

“We have advised our players to keep working for the time being, but as of Friday they will be doing so without a CBA,” Major League Soccer Players Union executive director Bob Foose said in a statement. “In the meantime, all options are being considered as the process continues.”

MLS president Mark Abbott said last weekend that the league didn’t plan to lock out players and was prepared to start the season under the terms and conditions of the old contract.

Players have sought free agent rights and more guaranteed contracts from the league, which launched in 1996 and negotiates all player contracts on behalf of its teams.

“We have listened to the issues raised by the MLS Players Union and the league has made detailed proposals that have addressed these issues, including in the areas of economics, guaranteed contracts, options and the ability of a player to move to another MLS club if he is released by his current club,” MLS said in a statement. “These proposals, which represent substantial changes from the current CBA, will significantly increase our spending and provide substantially more rights to the players.”

Income for players averaged $147,945 at the start of last season, according to the union. But the median—the point at which an equal number of players make above and below—was $88,000.

“While we expect that negotiations with MLS will resume at some point, there simply hasn’t been enough progress made in the negotiations to date to warrant an extension of the old agreement,” Foose said. “We are completely committed to forging real changes to the way MLS players are treated.”

The MLS schedule begins March 25, when the new Philadelphia Union team is away at Seattle, but there are some matches before then. Columbus hosts Toluca on March 9 in the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League on March 9, then plays the second leg at the Mexican club eight days later.

Red Bull Arena, a $200 million, 25,000-seat stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, formally opens with an exhibition game between the Red Bulls and Brazil’s Santos on March 20. The Red Bulls said Thursday that Robinho, on loan to Santos from Manchester City, will be part of the travel roster along with Neymar, Giovani and Fabio Costa.

MLS management, union end two days of talks

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Negotiators for Major League Soccer management and players have ended two days of talks and agreed to keep up discussions with the federal mediation service.

George H. Cohen, director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, convened talks Tuesday and Wednesday. The next session has not been set.

The league's first labor contract expired Feb. 25 after the MLS Players Union refused a third extension to the five-year deal, which originally was set to run out Jan. 31.

Unhappy with the single-entity structure that has the league negotiate all contracts, players want greater free-agent rights and a higher percentage of guaranteed deals.

The league schedule is set to start March 25.

MLS players say they're unified in labor talks

SEATTLE — Kasey Keller wants to make sure fans who hear about a possible strike in Major League Soccer understand the current standoff is about player rights and not salaries.

"This is truly a case of guys who could make more money going out and getting a job, but they're trying to live out the dream," Keller said on Friday.

The Seattle Sounders goalkeeper said he wasn't surprised when the MLS Players Union announced Thursday it voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike if a new collective bargaining agreement isn't reached by March 25, when the Sounders host expansion Philadelphia in the league opener.

The league's first collective bargaining agreement, a five-year deal, originally was set to run out Jan. 31 but was extended twice while negotiations continued. It expired Feb. 25 after the MLS Players Union refused another extension.

Negotiators for management and players met Tuesday and Wednesday in Washington, D.C., in talks convened by George H. Cohen, director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.

All the players are asking for are rights players have in other leagues around the world, Keller said. He understands that when the previous deal was agreed to, players needed to make concessions to keep the league going.

Now that the league has a solid base and is expanding into new markets, and Keller said it's time for the players to get some of those concessions back.

"I understand where the league was coming from five, 10 years ago when it was up against the wall if we were going to still have a league," Keller said. "That's now no longer the case and some of the things they were able to get away with just can't happen anymore."

Keller has been on teams in the top leagues in Europe — the English Premier League, La Liga in Spain and living in a castle while playing in Germany's Bundesliga. Keller spent the 2007-08 season playing with Fulham in the EPL, but found himself mostly in a reserve role.

Unhappy with the single-entity structure that has seen the league negotiate all contracts since play began in 1996, players want greater free-agent rights and a higher percentage of guaranteed deals.

Player income averaged $147,945 at the start of last season, according to the union. But the median — the point at which an equal amount make above and below — was $88,000 for 323 players listed.

"It's something that everyone needs to realize that this thing being positive for the players in the end is positive for the league, which in the end is positive for the owners," said Seattle's Peter Vagenas, about to begin his 11th MLS season. "Because quite frankly the rest of the world looks at some of the rules and regulations we abide by and it sort of adds to the stereotype of this league not being top quality."

The threat of a strike comes as the Philadelphia Union, the league's 16th team, is set to start play at Seattle in the league opener. While Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J., is to open with an exhibition between New York and Brazil's Santos on March 20, a strike would postpone the first league match at the $200 million soccer-specific stadium, against Chicago on March 27.

Earlier this week, Seattle's designated player, Swedish star Freddie Ljungberg, said when he flew over from Europe to join the Sounders preseason training in early February he was told a deal was imminent.

Both Keller, 40, and Vagenas say they remain optimistic something will get settled before the Sounders are supposed to take the field in less than two weeks against Philadelphia. But they also insist the players are united in making sure they receive what they believe is a fair deal.

"I'm quite frankly shocked to see it still at this point with the league still dragging its feet," Vagenas said. "We're very much behind the rest of the world, rest of the leagues in terms of players rights. ... We understand the sport in this country isn't the NFL, but at the same time there are certain rights players should have and we don't have."

D.C. United Issues Statements On New MLS CBA
March 20, 2010 - Major League Soccer (MLS) D.C. United

D.C. UnitedWashington, D.C. (March 20, 2010) - Today Major League Soccer and the MLS Players Union agreed to a new five-year Collective Bargaining Agreement [CBA]. Below are statements from D.C. United officials regarding the news that the 2010 MLS season will begin without delay.

President & CEO Kevin Payne: "On behalf of everyone at D.C. United, I want to congratulate the MLS Management Team and the MLS Players Association for the extraordinary job they did in reaching agreement on the new collective bargaining agreement. All of us are excited to get on with the work of building our league into what we all envision it can be. We're very excited about the 2010 United team we have put together and are very pleased that we can now fully focus on winning the 2010 MLS Cup championship. This is a great day for our players, our fans, and everyone who cares about MLS."

Head Coach Curt Onalfo: "Our entire coaching staff is thrilled with this news. The League and the Player's Union are to be congratulated for making such progress to ensure a prompt start to the new season. Our League is continually making strides, and this new agreement will only further the growth of Major League Soccer."

Defender Bryan Namoff: "After a grueling 48 hours, we're very fortunate to sign a document that we feel moving forward will improve not only the rights of players, but the relationship we have with the League. Everyone involved should be commended for the effort put forth over the last few days. Being able to come to an agreement before the season starts is a huge relief and we can now really concentrate on kicking-off the 2010 season this week."