Locking Out the Players

The Major League Soccer Player Association (MLSPA) has been backed into a corner by Major League Soccer (MLS). Both have been in contact with each other to spell out when players can return to the sport. MLS is giving MLSPA until noon on Tuesday to come back with an offer or they plan on locking out the players.

MLSPA submitted a package to the league so the “players can return to competition as soon as they are safely able to do so.”

The package detailed that the players agreed to the “economic concessions for the 2020 season, modifications to the recently agreed-upon CBA, including its extension by a year, and their agreement to participate in a summer tournament in Orlando.”

Players also agreed to salary cuts, bonus reductions and additional concessions to current and future CBAs.

The trouble comes in with how big the salary cut should be. The players agreed to the original 7.5 percent decrease. But now the league wants to bump it up to 8.75 percent.

MLS has taken a huge financial impact due to Covid-19. This new agreement between the league and MLSPA is one reason for the hold back on when soccer can return.

If players do not respond by noon on Tuesday, then MLS will continue the shutdown of the league and not allow the players to come back. Let’s hope that it does not resort to locking out the players, as this would prolong the break from soccer in America.