The league front office and it’s players union are already in talks. And things are slowly moving along here. Key word is slowly.

According to the Sports Business Journal today, the league’s financial data is in question by the players while front office says there is no stalemate.

“We recently opened negotiations with the MLS Players Union and had an initial meeting in April,” said Todd Durbin, MLS executive vice president. “Our discussions are ongoing and we are currently scheduling our next meeting.”

A player-side source said earlier this month that the league had resisted providing the union with full financial disclosure and that until such disclosure occurred, negotiations would be at a stalemate.

But league officials said last week that there was no stalemate.

“We are sharing financial information with the MLSPU, and any reports to the contrary are incorrect,” Durbin said in a written statement.

It is not entirely clear, however, whether the league is giving the union full access to its financials or whether it is providing financial information in order to plead financial hardship. If that is the case, the league could be seeking major concessions from the union, labor experts said.

Bill Gould, former chairman of the National Labor Relations Board, said that when sports leagues give up financial information to a union, it is usually because the league is saying it can’t afford to pay employees and the union is asking for proof. “You claim inability to pay,” Gould said of management. “You claim poverty.”

Not a lot of details came out of this report other than the fact that the two sides would be meeting again soon. The current CBA is set to expire at the end of January next year.

Honestly I really believe these two sides will work out an agreement between now and then and things won’t get too testy. Both sides want to get something done and I really believe they will see a positive agreement for all.