MLSPU Exec Dir Bob Foose yesterday said MLS and the union are "a long way apart" on reaching a new CBA, despite ongoing negotiations, according to Paul Tenorio of the ORLANDO SENTINEL. The current CBA expires Saturday, and while negotiations "will likely extend into the first week of March with teams allowed to play preseason games, the threat of a work stoppage looms over the league's opening weekend." Foose: "It is not our goal to disrupt that in any way shape or form. But the players are very serious about the best way to move this league forward. ... The league has had a significant amount of time to get itself stable and solid, and we are stable and solid, so it's very clear it's time to make changes." Tenorio notes negotiations "can be boiled down to a few basic arguments." Players "want unrestricted free agency and argue they ... should have the right to choose where they play." Orlando City SC G and union rep Tally Hall: "The league is growing and in no way do we feel like we're being greedy. ... You look at unrestricted free agency, and when it's introduced in every other North American (sport), revenue for that league goes up and fan interest goes up." But Tenorio notes MLS is "not interested in free agency of any sort" and argues that it has been "built around a single-entity system with restricted player movement that has helped the league grow and thrive." MLS also "has stated that operating as a single-entity helps when dealing with the international market." Players also are seeking "fair compensation from the top of the roster to the bottom," but the league argues that it is "not yet profitable -- far from it, in fact -- and must be cautious with how quickly it accelerates wages." League and union reps "continue to meet every week, but neither side seems close to backing off of its position" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 1/29).
SOMETHING HAS GOT TO GIVE: SI.com's Michael McCann noted the two sides "remain far apart on a deal" because they "have wildly different views on key issues, with players’ desire to secure free agency the most significant contention." MLS "is well aware of how free agency dramatically changed the economics of other sports leagues in North America." Even if MLS and the MLSPU "fail to reach an agreement by Saturday, it is unlikely either side would take action until March." McCann: "But if the single-entity league maintains its stance against free agency, what options, beyond a strike, do the players have?" (SI.com, 1/27).
