Ives is reporting that Ljungberg has received assurances that there will be no work stoppage on Feb. 1. I may be reading too much into that statement but to me it sounds like a new CBA will be agreed upon by the end of the month. Since it's only a matter of days before the new CBA is finalized, I thought I'd start this thread as a place to discuss any updates we hear about the new CBA and how it affects our Quakes.
Re: [SQR] New CBA Updates Hopefully all goes well and the season starts on time. GO SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES!!! -G
Re: [SQR] New CBA Updates I think we may operate for a brief period without a formal CBA, but an understanding between owners and players to continue preseason while the last details are hammered out. I think what the Ljunberg thing really tells us is that the chances of an actual lockout/strike are low.
Re: [SQR] New CBA Updates I think Ljunberg just thinks the MLS pre-season is too long and he didn't want to be a part of it really. He think he's above needing to arrive in camp on time. And he's still hoping for a Euro loan like Donovans. And he's a wanker so he blew off coming home in time using the CBA situation as a lame excuse. And then he was getting bad press so he blamed his agent and miscommunication. And now he's just trying to build himself up into something special by implying he's so valuable to the league that they had to give him insider information about the progress to lure their valuable asset back. Oh brother. Once a wanker, always a wanker.
Re: [SQR] New CBA Updates Is this Ljungberg? "Frank, we're gonna need to go ahead and move you downstairs into storage B. We have some new people coming in, and we need all the space we can get. So if you could just go ahead and pack up your stuff and move it down there, that would be terrific, OK?
Re: [SQR] New CBA Updates Indeed. If the owners are saying they won't lockout they've pretty much eliminated any chance of their taking a hard stance and that they are happy with where the negotiations are going. It pretty much leaves a strike as the only outside possibility, but even that I doubt we'd see since the players are undoubtedly in the weaker negotiating position in MLS.
Re: [SQR] New CBA Updates I think any time you have two sides far apart, both are going to blow smoke about lockout/strike, whatever. But when you look at the fundamentals for players and owners, it was obvious a real work stoppage was suicidal. I think once you get down to it, they would sit down and work something out.
Re: [SQR] New CBA Updates Ives is reporting that working for a period without a new CBA is definitely a possibility but neither side wants that to happen. http://www.soccerbyives.net/soccer_...or-talks-continue-as-deadline-looms.html#more I think that the owners were in a much stronger position when the original CBA was agreed upon but the league's success and growth actually is working against the owners. When the league started, the goal was to survive and thus owners could use that as the excuse on why they could not offer players what other leagues provide their players. With all of the expansion the league has experienced and the growth it's planning, it's hard for the owners to use the same excuse. Although that's not stopping them from the comments made by Garber in the FFF superdraft episode where he said that the current model needs to continue in order for the league to keep growing. He did conceded that some changes need to be made in order for the league to be more competitive with leagues around the world which to me means increasing the salary cap. But I think the big sticking point is free agency. I don't think we'll get rid of the single entity model anytime soon but maybe we'll get rid of that silly league rule where a club still owns the rights to a player even after their contract has expired. I'm on the players side on this one.
Re: [SQR] New CBA Updates It's only because he played for the enemy of your fave team... starts with "A"... ---- Kidding aside, if there's some ironing out that needs to be made both sides need to do it soon. It's coming down to the wire and if both see progress I'll say they'll keep going. I don't think the players will be locked out but if there's something to the effect that there's no progress then I would expect the worst-case scenario. Especially since this is a World Cup year--both sides want to look good.
Re: [SQR] New CBA Updates The deadline has been pushed to Feb. 12th. Obviously both sides don't want a strike. The delay is annoying but at least both parties are committed to reaching an agreement. http://www.soccerbyives.net/soccer_...e-to-push-negotiation-deadline-to-feb-12.html
Re: [SQR] New CBA Updates F.Y.P. This is annoying and gives me about as much confidence in a settlement as ground breaking for a practice field does towards construction of a new stadium...
Re: [SQR] New CBA Updates They would not carry on negotiating if they didn't think they could reach agreement. I think this means that they are close, that both sides realize that a work stoppage, even in pre-season would really hurt the league, so they'll work it out. I also think that Wolff spending some cash on a practice facility for the team means that he expects to build a soccer stadium. (I also think it means that he got some bucks out of Amway for it. Which means that he's clever too!) Go Quakes!! Train like Winners!! - Mark
Re: [SQR] New CBA Updates This is why I was annoyed and still have little confidence in a settlement. These three items are deal breakers. I think the players should give up on the clubs doing their own contracts and MLS should give up on free agency and guaranteed player contracts.
Re: [SQR] New CBA Updates I agree. If the league were to give up single-entity, it would kill the league financially within a few years. If it didn't, we'd end up with a league like the EPL where the rich teams are always at or near the top of the table, and the poor teams suck. (See Soccernomics on this.) The league could give ground on free agency in several important regards that I'm sure would mollify the union. For example, when a team cuts, waives, or does not resign a player (like us with ROB), then that player becomes a free agent. Plain and simple. But, if a team does try to resign a player at the same or higher salary, then if they cannot come to an agreement, they should get some form of compensation, minimal, but something. On the guaranteed contracts, I think that some sort of compromise will be necessary, but I'm not sure how that looks. In any case, most of these folks are smart and they'll figure it out. Go Quakes!! - Mark
Re: [SQR] New CBA Updates Well you might get the first and second things you list... guaranteed contracts, probably not.
Re: [SQR] New CBA Updates A couple of ideas on guaranteeing contracts. Players can get full salary for the year at earlier dates than currently specified. For multi-year contracts, the first year or two could be guaranteed. There are compromises. My fervent hope, however, is MLS figures a way to let some teams work around the hard cap - say to resign young players. Or for richer clubs to dig into their own pockets and pay for high-priced talent (paying a tax along the way to subsidize teams like the Quakes that don't have huge revenue streams).
Re: [SQR] New CBA Updates "MLS, Players Union to continue to negotiate through Feb. 25" (Thursday, 2/11/10) MLS Commissioner Don Garber called talks with the MLS Players Union constructive. (Getty Images) GO SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES!!! -G
Re: [SQR] New CBA Updates "Three to six months". Or my favorite ambiguous, non-committal, leave yourself plenty of room to flake, "sooner rather than later".
Re: [SQR] New CBA Updates This means that MLS expects to reach a compromise, whereas the Players Union may or may not think that they can reach a compromise, but the closer it gets to first kick, the more bargaining power the players have. Or, the more they think they have. I sure hope that they settle this, soon, and that both sides are reasonably happy. If they don't, it's going to be the fans that get hurt the worst. Go Quakes!! Negotiate like rational people!! - Mark
Re: [SQR] New CBA Updates http://www.soccerbyives.net/soccer_by_ives/2010/02/mls-labor-talks-stall-as-work-stoppage-looms.html this isn't encouraging.
Re: 2010 Preseason Catch-all thread Glass half empty: Players on strike, come opening day, no matches and maybe the league's progress is set back 5-10 years. Glass half full: Quakes do not record a loss on opening day! Jason fit for start of season (in August).