CBA talks turn sour

Earthquakes goalkeeper Joe Cannon says the players are ready to strike, if the situation demands it. Photo: Kelley Cox, isiphotos.com

After months of quiet negotiations on a new Collective Bargaining agreement, talks between Major League Soccer and the MLS Players Union have apparently come to a standstill, Center Line Soccer has learned.

According to MLSPU Executive Board member Pat Onstad, none of the major issues - a list that includes club autonomy, guaranteed contracts, free agency, and bilateral contract options - is close to being resolved. Meetings between the two sides took place Wednesday and Thursday, at which point the players went public with their frustration.

“In the last month, there’s been no significant movement at all,” said Onstad. “The last offer we put on the table has not even been remotely addressed. Right now, [the negotiations] are in a bad place. We’re far apart.”

An MLS spokesman declined to address specific issues as it related to the past week’s meetings, stating only that “Negotiations are ongoing. Meetings have been scheduled for the upcoming week. Both sides have agreed to talk through Feb. 25, and the league remains hopeful that a solution can be found.”

But according to San Jose Earthquakes goalkeeper Joe Cannon, that hope — at least on the players’ side — has evaporated in the last week.

“I can honestly say that I don’t think things were ever going great,” said Cannon. “But there was a lot more hope when we had a little bit more time. Maybe people just felt that through negotiations things could hopefully get done, but I think now it’s come to a point where the reality of the situation has to eclipse the hope we all have.”

At present, additional talks are slated for next week, but given the current state of the negotiations, it’s unclear if those meetings will proceed. In the meantime, Cannon indicated that a work stoppage is now a real possibility.

“I know on our side, we’re prepared to strike if we have to for what we want,” said Cannon. “If the owners feel as adamant about treating us like they do, that’s up to them. It’s their business.”

Cannon reiterated the players’ contention that the players aren’t asking for much.

He said, “People don’t take into account the little logistical things that happen on a day-to-day basis, like guys trying to get out of leases, moving cross country and having to pay money out of their own pocket because they’ve been traded; guys’ careers ending prematurely because the team that waives them won’t give up their rights. It’s tough. It’s not like any other job. Our careers are only for so long.

“I think all of us hope for something to get done at the table. That’s the ideal situation, because that’s what’s best for the game, for players to be treated right.”

The original CBA expired on Jan. 31, but since then the two sides have twice extended the deadline for negotiations. The currently deadline is next Thursday.