“I don’t think what’s being called ‘free agency’ is very advantageous for the players. You look at our league where guys sign one or two-year deals and then are able to go backout and test the market with any team in the world. That’s free agency, in my opinion, but they agreed to it. That’s […]
mls players union
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They're Saying: Danny Cruz
“This wasn’t an easy decision. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in my entire life. I told my teammates that and I stand by that. The fact that at some point in our careers as players we’regoing to be able to choose where we want to live and what’s best for us, […]
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MLS CBA deal: who got what? who gave up what?
An agreement in principle was reached between MLS and the MLS Players Union early Wednesday evening on a five-year collective bargaining agreement, ending the threat of the league’s first workstoppage. The historic agreement includes restricted free agency, “more movement,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber noted on Sports Center, “than weprobably thought we would provide when the […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They're Saying: MLS fan Jon Fish
“It’s just a little nudge from the fans to the league and the players’ union, ‘Hey guys, do what you can to make this work.’” — MLS fan Jon Fish,who had a flower arrangement sent to the mediation room, where MLS and MLS Player Union representatives were meeting in Washington to negotiate a new collective […]
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MLS and union headed deep into overtime
Talks between representatives of MLS and the MLS Players Union continued Wednesday as they attempted to conclude a new collective bargaining agreement to allow the 2015 season to go ahead as scheduledon Friday night. That the sides continued to bargain after reports of a potential strike vote should be taken as evidence that both sides […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They're Saying: Zach Scott
“The only thing we’ve talked about is if our families are alright. If you’ve got family out of the country, make sure they come back into the country. If you don’t have healthinsurance, figure out a way to sort that out. Other than that, we haven’t talked about training or anything else.” — Seattle Sounders […]
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Lots at stake as MLS labor talks continue
Talks between representatives of MLS and the MLS Players Union on a new collective bargaining agreement entered the third day at the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service in Washington, D.C. The deadline for a resolution of the talks approaches as the first team, the Chicago Fire, needs to travel Wednesday morning ahead of Friday night’s […]
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MLS labor talks going down to wire
K Street, home to many Washington lobbying firms, generally has a negative connotation, but soccer fans will hope to view it in a better light as it’s the location of the Federal Mediation andConciliation Service, where MLS and the MLS Players Union are meeting in marathon sessions in an attempt to reach a new collective […]
Posted inSoccer America Confidential, Story
More to MLS labor imbalance than no free agency
By Paul Kennedy (@pkedit) As negotiators meet in Washington inattempt to reach an agreement that will avert MLS’s first work stoppage, the major issue appears to be free agency. When you think of free agency, you usually think of the big-moneybidding that takes place in the other American sports leagues. For MLS players, it’s a […]
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Garber: 'Nobody's looking for a work stoppage'
Speaking at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference in Boston on Friday, MLS commissioner Don Garber says he is still hopeful the 2015 MLS season — theleague’s 20th — will start next weekend, but he admitted the league was prepared for a work stoppage if negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement falter. “We had […]