***NEWS FLASH***
MLS League management and the Players Union have signed a new 5 year collective bargaining agreement (CBA) which has me breathing a sigh of relief! I've been trying to provide a framework of information to show the rise of soccer in America. I've been trying to focus on the growth of Major League Soccer, the relatively new (when compared with other leagues) professional soccer league in America. So when I heard the news that the MLS Players Union was planning to go on strike this upcoming season I was obviously concerned about the validity of my argument!
Not only was I worried for the sake of my argument, but also as a soccer fan I was worried for the future of the league.
A few bullet points of recent events:
• 1st CBA expired on January 31, 2010.
• CBA was extended 3 times until it officially expired on Feb 25, 2010.
• March 11, 2010 Players Union votes 383-2 in favor to strike if no agreement is made by on March 25, 2010
• 25 player representatives and league officials meet on March 17, 2010 in Washington D.C., along with federal mediator George H. Cohen.
• March 20, 2010 Players Union and MLS come to terms on a new5 y ear CBA
Out of the depths of a crisis comes the shimmering hope of progress for a small, but growing league. Instead of a potentially crippling strike by the Players Union they find themselves with more rights and freedoms within the league. The terms of the new MLS CBA were explained in detail on the website of the Columbus Crew:
http://blog.dispatch.com/crew/2010/03/more_on_the_cba.shtml
There were only 2 MLS franchises that made a profit through the 2009 MLS season. However, great strides are being made, attendance is improving, and interest appears to be increasing. With the 2010 World Cup set to take place this summer, the addition of the Philadelphia Union, and the grand opening of the new $200 million Red Bull Arena the league is set for a big year.
I'm excited this got worked out too. It's sad to hear that only 2 teams made a profit and some of the bigger named players that draw a crowd would have gone over to try Europe, and either been a success and we would have to risk losing them, or fail and then American soccer would lose a bit of the respect they have started to earn in the last little bit and with the world cup in a couple months it is good timing to get this taken care of and refocused now.
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