MLS: How much damage did lockout threat cause?
Amid tense negotiations with the MLS Players’ Association, which concluded on Wednesday, the league threatened a lockout. While this was ultimately avoided, what damage did the threat cause?
On Wednesday, Major League Soccer and the MLS Players’ Association came to an agreement on the new Collective Bargaining Agreement and how to resume the season in the current climate. The negotiations were tense, drawn-out, and, at one point, threatened to drive a wedge between the league and the players.
Earlier in the week, it was reported that MLS threatened to lock out the players as an agreement looked to be not forthcoming. Don Garber later confirmed that this was indeed the case. The ploy was sneaky, dirty, and immoral from the league.
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The threat was in response to certain details from a previously agreed upon CBA being changed as a result of the pandemic. The league was attempting to use the coronavirus to lever themselves a better deal. And then they had the audacity to take one step further and threaten to not pay their employees, withdrawing their health insurance and the other basic benefits that come with employment in the midst of one of the most uncertain periods in the country since World War II.
In the end, the lockout was necessary. The MLSPA and league came to a somewhat forced agreement. But the players still had to make amendments to the CBA that was to run from 2020 to 2024 that they agreed upon in February. At the time, that agreement was seen as a major triumph. Not so much now.
And while the lockout was not ultimately implemented, the damage has still been done. Nashville SC defender Daniel Lovitz did not hold back when asked about Garber’s behaviour. Speaking to Ben Wright, Lovitz said:
"“We hope that in time the wounds from the process heal, but it’s really tough to hear the league say they are interested using the partnership between the league and the players to help grow the league into what they want it to be when they continually show us what they think of the partnership that we share.”"
Lovitz then doubled down on his response, stating, pertinently, that ‘actions speak louder than words’:
“Actions speak louder than words. I don’t care what Commissioner Garber said earlier. When the time comes and you have to act, that’s what you’re defined by and we were shown their true colours in that moment.”[/bockquote]
Montreal Impact goalkeeper Evan Bush told Tom Bogert that it “really woke up the players in a negative way.” Meanwhile, Grant Wahl reported that a veteran MLS player said ‘it will take years to undo the damage done by MLS owners’ threat to lock out the players.’
MLS’ outrageous decision to threaten a lockout, which was widely criticised by fans and media alike as soon as the reports surfaced, has upset the players. And with good reason. The league was already being greedy, and then it upped the ante with the most nuclear negotiating tactic possible.
Next. MLS must tread carefully regarding racial protests. dark
The players are not content with the league. And they have a right to be angry. Sadly for MLS and Garber, the damage has been done, whether the lockout was used or not.