It apparently was not enough to have the MLS Players Association to agree to a force majeure clause in the collective bargaining agreement. According to a report by Sam Stejkal and Paul Tenorio in The Athletic, On Major League Soccer gave the MLS Players Association (MLSPA) a Tuesday deadline to agree to its terms on an amended collective bargaining agreement and return to play plan. Otherwise, the league told players, it would lock the players out.
This is a continuation of the league’s hardball towards the players which includes:
- Asking the players to take a 50 percent pay cut while league executives have taken a maximum 25 percent pay cut.
- Threatening employees with punishment if information about the restart plan got leaked–particularly to The Athletic.
- Not seeking player input about the plan to restart with all 26 teams in Orlando.
The three-pronged approach with the force majeure clause, similar to what is used by the NBA and proposed by the MLSPA would allow for MLS to terminate the CBA with 30-day notice if an event or condition, makes it impossible for the (league) to perform its obligations under the CBA, frustrates the underlying purpose of the CBA, makes the CBA economically impracticable. Now the league is attempting to alter the CBA which was agreed to, but not ratified in February.
Players at various clubs responded by not showing up for training.
The Athletic reported that the health and safety protocols related to the Orlando tournament have largely been worked out, but that some players could opt out for medical or familial reasons such as a partner who is pregnant. That would open the door for stars such as the LA Galaxy‘s Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez and LAFC‘s Carlos Vela — both of whom have partners that are pregnant — to skip the tournament.
Barring a lockout, the particulars of the tournament are set, namely that the 26 teams will head to Orlando on or around June 24, take part in a three-game group stage which will be followed by a knockout round. The total time away should amount to six weeks.
THOUGHTS: The very threat of a lockout to squeeze more concessions is rightfully called by Stejkal and Tenorio as ‘incredibly tone deaf’ if not outright cruel in the middle of a pandemic and an uprising over social injustice in the United States. It gives off the impression that the owners in MLS merely care about their pocketbooks rather then the best interests of the players.
While the NWSL looks set to resume in a Challenge Cup format at the end of this month, MLS is threatening to turn its potential tournament at Disney World into the unhappiest place on Earth.
