Agreement Reached on New CBA

The start of the MLS regular season will proceed as scheduled after the MLS Players Union (MLSPU) and league owners struck a deal in principle on a new collective bargaining agreement on Wednesday evening.

The two sides had started negotiating the terms in December, but as First Kick approached, the two sides hadn’t yet hammered out a deal. The primary points of contention were free agency and salary structure, and negotiations between the sides took place in Washington, D.C.

“We are pleased to announce that we have reached a new Collective Bargaining Agreement with the league,” said Bob Foose, Executive Director of the MLS Players Union said in a statement on Wednesday. “We are pleased to finally turn our fans attention back to our players and the competition on the field as we get started on the 2015 season.”

The deal is contingent upon formal ratification by the MLSPU. The Chicago Fire will face the LA Galaxy in the first regular season match on Friday.

Sounds like the players did well. Not full blown free agency but the door is now cracked open & will only get wider from here #MLSCBA

— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) March 5, 2015

According to reports, under the new CBA, which will run through the 2019 season, minimum salaries will increase from $36,500 to $60,000. Free agency will be granted on a limited basis, as players with a minimum of eight years of MLS experience and are at least 28-year-old will be the only ones eligible.

Stress level past 4 days –> ????. Sleep level past 4 days –> ????. Hard to please everyone but relieved it's over. See you in KC.

— Dax McCarty (@DaxMcCarty11) March 5, 2015

Revolution defender Chris Tierney and goalkeeper Brad Knighton participated in the negotiations, and were in Washington, D.C. for much of the week as the two sides worked on a deal. The Revolution will open the season on Sunday in Seattle against the Sounders.

“We are pleased to finalize the framework for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement with our players,” said MLS Commissioner Don Garber said in a statement on Wednesday. “We now enter our 20th season with enormous momentum with our new television partnerships, dynamic star players from the U.S., Canada and abroad, and two new expansion teams in New York City and Orlando that will debut in front of more than 60,000 fans on Sunday in the Citrus Bowl. This agreement will provide a platform for our players, ownership and management to work together to help build Major League Soccer into one of the great soccer leagues in the world.”

Stay tuned to nesoccertoday.com for further developments on this breaking story.

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One Comment

1. 

   Robert

   March 6, 2015 at 11:58 am

   I didn’t believe there was going to be a work stoppage. The league is at an all-time high with two expansion teams beginning play, announcements of new stadiums, team re-branding, sold-out stadiums and the fact that MLS is celebrating their 20th year. Too much momentum for owners and players to do something stupid and have a work stoppage which would kill the growth.

   Reply