Major League Soccer and the MLS Players Union both confirmed on Friday afternoon that they have accepted the invitation of a mediator to try and resolve the deadlock currently being experienced in the negotiations for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.
As part of the meetings, MLS and the Union have jointly accepted the invitation of George H. Cohen, the Director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), to serve as a mediator during the discussions.
MLS commissioner Don Garber has spoken recently about being optimistic that a labor deal will be completed before the scheduled start of the MLS season, but the move toward mediation shows just how deadlocked the sides had become. It does look like a positive step though that both sides have agreed to mediation.
shawn,
expansion fees are a one time bonus. Divided by fifteen teams, that’s two millionn per expansion team. Given that most teams lose several million a year, its not exactly sound financial planning.
besides, i suspect alot of those fees stay with the league for marketing purposes, not go to the teams.
i’ don’t know about oodles but just from the expansion fees of that last couple years alone they should have. $30 million from seattle, $35 million from philly and $40 million each next year from Vancouver and Portland. roughly $145 million dollars.
Their pace of negotiations has always worried me and find completely complexing at this point. Both sides are to blame but at this point I think it hampers the players cause/position more.
ditto.