General

MLS Labor Talks Getting Snowed Out - UPDATE

Feb 11, 2010, 8:10 PM UTC

At the end of January, with their original collective bargaining agreement deadline of February 1, 2010 looming, Major League Soccer and its players union decided to extend the deadline a few weeks, as both sides seemed to think they were close to a deal and didn’t want to jeopardize the good will by resorting to a strike/lockout situation. Amicably, the two sides extended the deal to February 12th.â†µâ†µThis week, with the newly-extended deadline drawing near, the two sides have come across another obstacle in their way. Piles and piles of snow.â†µ

â†µâ†µSacked with nearly three feet of snow on the east coast this week, MLS commissioner Don Garber and other MLS negotiators have been unable to get to the nation’s capital to have a face-to-face meeting with the union leadership. From Big Apple Soccer:â†µ

â†µâ†µâ‡¥For the second day in a row, inclement weather has stopped the Major League Soccer negotiating crew from traveling to Washington, D.C. to continue negotiations with the MLS players union, league spokesman said.â†µâ‡¥â†µâ‡¥It is not known when talks will begin again or whether Friday’s Collective Bargaining Agreement deadline between the two groups will be extended a second time.â†µâ‡¥

â†µâ†µHey, MLS…haven’t you heard of Skype? Can’t this get done with a video conference call and a virtual handshake? I honestly can’t remember the last time I sat face-to-face with someone to talk about business. Let’s get with the times before it’s too late, folks.â†µ

â†µIn all seriousness, it is a shame that, with teams already starting training camp – some in the snow – the union and league aren't able to figure out a way to come to terms on a new deal, blizzard or not. With many of the top American players finding work outside the MLS these days, be it on loan or full transfer, a league-wide work stoppage could prove disastrous for MLS – especially in a World Cup year.â†µ

â†µâ†µThe fact that Garber didn’t tunnel his way through the snow to D.C. for face-to-face talks likely illustrates that the two sides aren’t panicking about a deal getting done. Yet. Will another extension be coming? Will it help? â†µ

â†µâ†µUPDATE: Another extension did come. From MLS: â†µ

â†µâ†µâ‡¥Major League Soccer and the Major League Soccer Players Union announced Thursday that they have agreed to continue to negotiate through February 25, as they work towards reaching a new collective bargaining agreement. Negotiations scheduled for this week were postponed due to the snow storms along the Northeast Corridor. Negotiations will continue over the next two weeks.â†µâ†µ

This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.

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