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Building D5
Fairoaks Airport
Chobham
Surrey
GU24 8HU
Tel: 0871 399 0089
Fax: 01276 858010
View map
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MLS and players' union struggling with contract negotiations
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The management of the US football league, MLS, and MLSPU, the players' union, are trying to work out a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA). The current CBA holds until January 31st and both parties are working towards this deadline. There is concern about players' strike or a employers' lockout if there is no CBA in place at the end of this month. The CBA is the definitive document for establishing legal status, player contracts and salaries in the MLS as it is a single entity league in which the contracts are controlled by the league rather than the individual clubs. The players are seeking major restructuring of the league to make it more in line with other international leagues and the MLS believes that its current model is the best fit for growing the sport of soccer in North America.
The Reuters reports that two leading MLS players, former U.S. goalkeeper Kasey Keller and current US team striker Landon Donovan, have both made strongly critical statements against the MLS yesterday in the FIFPro website. Keller, who has played in leagues in England, Germany and Spain has said, ""What we are looking for are the same basic rights that players enjoy in other leagues around the world. We have made great strides in developing the game in the United States. But we can't truly compete internationally, either for players or fans, with a system that is so radically different than other leagues around the world." Donovan, who is currently playing for Everton as a loan from L.A Galaxy, has expressed concerns that any strike or lockout would be particularly ill-timed now given the summer World Cup finals in South Africa. "The league shutting down MLS in February would do real damage to the development of the game in the United States and to our efforts to prepare for South Africa. It is difficult to understand why the owners would take this course, when all we are asking for are the same rights enjoyed by other players around the world, not just in the biggest leagues, but in leagues of all sizes." FIFPro contends that MLS is not in compliance with FIFA regulations while MLS President Mark Abbott is categorical in denying such allegations. "The statement regarding MLS issued by the MLS players today contains many inaccuracies including the false assertion that MLS is not compliant with the FIFA regulations. MLS is in fact operating in compliance and the players are simply wrong on this point. Also, contrary to the union's claims, it has been proven in federal court that the MLS business structure is legal and does not operate as a cartel. Moreover, any discussion about a lockout, players strike or other work stoppage is premature and frankly counterproductive to our ongoing mutual commitment to reach an agreement between management and the players." |
