The league won't say anything. The player's union won't say anything. With the the 2010 MLS season kicking off in a little over two weeks, no one really knows for sure if there will be any collective bargaining agreement in place by that time. So what exactly does that mean? Are players going to strike? Is the league going to lock the players out? Do I need to lace up and get ready to play some scab soccer for RSL? Well MLS commissioner Don Garber doesn't think so.
"We will not lock them out, and we are confident they will not go on strike," Garber said at a convention in England, "We’ve got to make decisions that will ensure the long-term financial success of the MLS, and I’m sure we will not make any decisions to prove a point."
Today, news is coming down the line that both parties have agreed to federal mediation. Because talks have stalled and the season is so close at hand, something had to be done considering neither side has budged. The player's union is looking for more free agency rights, while the league wants to maintain tight control of players and teams.
Both sides have good arguments that they are working with, the only reason the MLS has been able to weather this economic storm was their brilliant system of single-entity control of everything however, there is no way the league will ever be able to take that next step forward unless the players and clubs are able to breath a bit in the decision making.
As far as I can see, a deal will get done. When, how, where, all these details are unknown. Major League Soccer plays everything close to the chest and we will only really know when they want us to.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
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