http://sports.yahoo.com/mls/news?slug=mlsplayersunion The MLSPU has taken the first step. "The documents seek clarification of several issues, including player salaries and an explanation of the salary cap, which many sources have said borders on the artificial."
i have no idea what all this will mean in the long term, just one question, is it bad ? should we start to worry there won't be an MLS because of it?
Agreed. The things the union are asking for (so far)are the same things that fans and reporters have been pusuing for awhile. Making the way MLS does business more transparent can only be a good thing IMHO, and changes in the minimum salary, a pension plan, and some form of limited free agency can probably be worked out to everyone's satisfaction.
Hah. Huss / Jesse / whoever better start some DR testing. And there will be some serious player movement and re-classification in the MLS Fantasy Leagues - where the impact of this union will be felt the hardest.
I hope the players have considered that one of the results of transparancy could be that the cap is actually enforced.
It's not like this whole thing has been a surprise to either side. So I would guess that any gaps are ready to be closed when the time comes. And it's not like players aren't used to biting the bullet.
An actual, enforced, public, hard cap is the thing that I think will get the players whatever they want in exchange. It's pretty clear that the league just can't help itself when it comes to bringing in players who won't count toward the cap, so they may choose to rely on the union to keep their hands out of the cookie jar (oooh, Luis Hernandez! Ahhhh, Hong Myung-Bo!). Could result in a league that, in terms of player aquisition costs, is more responsible.
And then we'll get the bitching about the quality of play again because they're "responsible" in their spending.
Yeah, well, I'm not so sure. I'm thinking we can certainly get more player for our buck than we have been in the past. Name brand players? Nope. Good players who will improve the level of play in our league, be positive role models for our youth, and make long term commitments to grow the sport in the US? Yep.
if the cap becomes hard and everything is known, i could see transfer fees allowing for softness in player acquisitions, which would probably be something the players union would be up for, as it would provide it's members a chance at a higher level
Furthermore, if things become more transparent, in terms of acquisition fees and salaries, the league might not go after as many 'cap-shady' players or at least manage the costs for them better. Then if the players agree to a hard cap, there's every possibility it'd actually be somewhat considerably higher.
Just talked with Evan Whitfield, the Fire's player rep. He said "We could have a deal next week, but it probably wouldn't be a great deal for the players." They don't have a timetable, this has all happened in just the last two weeks. They're gathering information and will put it all together in a platform to present to the league at some point. He mentioned that besides the big three issues that Lalas mentioned (salaries, free agency, licensing rights), there are a ton of little items that need to be addressed, none of which are dealbreakers by themselves, but which all fall under the 'general working conditions' category. So don't look for an announcement next week.
Employers are required to supply to unions, upon request, information that is "necessary and relevant" for the purposes of collective bargaining. Most new unions usually "serve" broad, general information requests upon employers simply to get a firm grasp of the bargaining unit, what needs to be addressed, etc. This should not be surprising. Most employees do not know what their fellow employees are earning, for example, or whether they are all getting the same benefits. This is not necessarily the first salvo in an inevitable war. It's actually pretty routine.