MLS, MLSPA Collective Bargaining Agreement Negotiations Extended By A Week

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Major League Soccer has extended the deadline for the league and the players association to come to an agreement as it relates to the ongoing negotiations surrounding the collective bargaining agreement.

The league and players have agreed that during the 2021 season, the players will receive full compensation, as opposed to the 95 percent compensation the players received during the 2020 season.

However, the two parties cannot agree on how long the CBA will last. The players association would like the CBA to conclude in 2026, but the league would like it to end in 2027 claiming the extra year will drastically help the dire financial situation that the league currently finds itself in due to the global coronavirus pandemic.

MLS Commissioner Don Garber stated in December 2020 that the league is poised to lose $1 billion in revenue during the 2020 fiscal season. Not having fans in the stands as a result of the coronavirus has proven detrimental to the league’s financial books.

Major League Soccer statement regarding discussions with the @MLSPA on how to address the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. pic.twitter.com/o1ECU0ZrJp

— MLS 2021 (@MLS2021) January 29, 2021

“In our discussions with the MLSPA, we have emphasized the importance of the two-year extension to allow the league and clubs to recover a portion of the losses incurred in 2021 as a result of the pandemic while protecting the long-term health of the League by providing stability which promotes ongoing investment,” the league states.

Furthermore, the statement from the league addresses the importance of getting the deal done within the next week.

“If we are unable to finalize a new CBA by 11:59 p.m. ET on February 4, the MLS Labor Committee has voted unanimously to authorize the league to terminate the CBA and institute a lockout.”

If a lockout does ensue, the league will “continue to pay the health insurance premiums for players and their families.”

MLS has never endured a lockout in its 25 years of existence.

Earlier this week, the league announced plans to begin preseason training on February 22nd with the season to start on April 3rd. However, those dates are pending the ongoing CBA negotiations.