Under the new collective bargaining agreement the main points we’ve talked about include – player salaries are guaranteed to increase each year, and the individual minimum player salaries also will continue to increase each year.  It will also include improvements to players’ quality of life such as meals, hotel accommodations, reimbursement for relocation costs and player appearances.

From the release here are the full details:

• TERM: 2010 – 2014.

• GUARANTEED CONTRACTS: The CBA provides for guaranteed contracts for all players who are at least 24 years old with three years of MLS service.  The majority of the players in the League will have guaranteed contracts each season.

• SALARY BUDGET: An increase of the salary budget from $2.315 million per club in 2009 to $2.55 million in 2010 (10.15%) and an increase of 5% per year thereafter.

• An increase of the minimum salary for senior roster players from $34,000 in 2009 to $40,000 in 2010 (17.64%) and an increase of 5% per year thereafter.

• PLAYER MOVEMENT: While there will be no bidding by MLS clubs against each other for out-of-contract players, the League will establish a “re-entry draft” for players who are out of contract. Although the specific parameters of that draft are being finalized, it will address players in each of the following categories:

Option Not Exercised

A player who is at least 23 years old with three years of MLS service and whose option is not exercised will be placed in a re-entry draft and made available to all clubs at his option salary.

Contract Terminated

A player who is at least 22 years old with one year of MLS service and who is asked to take a pay cut after contract termination will be placed in a re-entry draft and made available to all clubs at his current salary.

Contract Expires

A player who is at least 30 years old with eight years of MLS service and whose contract has expired will be placed in a re-entry draft unless his team makes him a qualified offer that must be at least 105% of his last salary. If placed in the re-entry draft, the player will be made available to all clubs at a salary equal to 105% of his last salary.

A player who is at least 25 years of age with at least four years of MLS service whose contract has expired will be placed in a re-entry draft unless his team offers him a base salary of at least as much as the base salary paid to him in the last year of his contract. If placed in the re-entry draft, the player will be made available to all clubs at a salary equal to the salary in the final year of his contract.

• OPTIONS IN PLAYER CONTRACTS: A limit on the number of options in player contracts to two for players who are at least 25 years old with four years of MLS service.  Contracts for all other players may have up to three options.
  • For players whose annual compensation is less than $125,000, the minimum increase in base salary will be 10% for players who play in at least 66% of his club’s games and 12.5% for players who play in at least 75% of his club’s games.

• PLAYER BENEFITS: The CBA includes a package of benefits that include increases in 401K contributions by the League, appearance fees, per diem when travelling and relocation expense reimbursement. Among the additional player benefits in the CBA are full health care benefits for every player and his family at no cost, 401(k) contributions and expanded insurance benefits.

• BONUSES FOR WINS AND EXHIBITIONS: The CBA includes a package of bonuses for wins in MLS games and international tournaments as well as appearance fees for international exhibitions.

• GROUP LICENSE: The League and Players Union reached agreement on an extension of the Group License that will run through 2015 (a year longer than the CBA).

• RESERVE DIVISION: MLS and the Players Union will establish a joint committee to study the re-launch of a Reserve Division. In the event the rosters are expanded, the salary for those players will be a minimum of $31,250 with additional annual increases.

But even as of today there are few details on the matter. We knew little such as compensation would increase, players’ rights would increase and movement for players would be easier. The number of guaranteed contracts will be going up is a big way as well.

However Ridge Mahoney of Soccer America seemed to unearth some of those details this morning. At least what he was able to find was what the salary cap would be and how player compensation would be in 2010.

According to Mahoney, for 2010, the salary cap will be $2.55 million per team (it was $2.32 million in 2009) and the minimum salary for non-developmental players is $40,000 ($34,000 in 2009). Each will increase at a basic five percent per year, though for older players the minimum will be greater. At that growth rate, the salary cap will be approximately $3.1 million in the final year of the CBA, and the minimum will be slightly more than $46,000.

Now that is a start if you’re asking me. I believe a while back it was reported the salary cap would go up to or around that $2.55 mark.

We’re still waiting to see the final details of this re-entry draft as they are calling it when a player’s contract runs out with a team. No doubt they will have to iron out those details to be able to explain it to everyone one. But then again it is MLS after all so I’m sure the details won’t be too easy to follow like the allocation and lottery systems.

As more details come out I will fill you in as best as I can. But at the end of the day I believe the fans are the biggest winners of all, because they get a new season this week. It was in a small way because of the fans that the two sides got a deal done I think. With all the growing supporter’s groups around the league I believe deep down that the owners and players knew they had a lot of people to figure something out for.

Yes it was about player rights and more money at the end of it but really it was about growing the league for the fans and the future fans of the game. After all without the fans is there really a league here?

MLS Commissioner Don Garber (left center) and MLS Players Union Executive Director Bob Foose (right center) shake hands after the joint announcement from the federal mediator’s office in Washington, D.C.(Jose Argueta/MLS)

There will be no players strike happening anytime soon. Major League Soccer and its players union agreed to a new Collective Bargaining Agreement on Saturday. The sides agreed to a new five-year deal.

The deal was reached just a few minutes before the teleconference today.

Many of the details have no been made except for the length of the deal and one vital piece regarding free agency.

There will be no free agency but instead what is being called (for now) a player re-entry draft. Basically it will help out of contract players be able to move around the league a little easier.

Once more details come out I’ll post them here.

According to Rollins MLS and the players have come to an agreement on two of the biggest issues in the CBA negotiations, issue of guaranteed contracts and an increase in the salary cap. The last hurdle appears to be over free agency though at this point.

The league feels that adding any sort of free agency would possibly inflate the market as Rollins points out.

Also, on the salary cap and what it will go to Rollins says it will increase from $2.3 million to somewhere in the neighborhood of $2.6 million. A slight increase, not a big one as some were hoping for here. This mainly just means most clubs can go out and sign one or possible two more quality players.

Right now this appears to be a small win for the players. If they some how get what they want in the form of free agency then it could be chalked up as a bigger win for them. The two week extension ends tomorrow so the next 24 hours or so will likely be interesting to watch. I still have a belief that a deal will be reached here and another extension won’t be necessary though with the bad weather it could happen.

The new deadline is now set at February 12.

What should be made of the extension? Honestly not much at all. The players never intended strike while MLS wasn’t ready to actually do a lockout when it could simply extend the negotiations. As I’ve mentioned before, they’ll get it done in time for the new season.

Below is the release from the league.

NEW YORK (Thursday, Jan. 28, 2010) – Major League Soccer (MLS) and the Major League Soccer Players Union (Players Union) today announced that the two organizations have agreed to continue to negotiate through February 12, as they work towards reaching a new collective bargaining agreement.

“While we still have areas of disagreement, the talks have been constructive and both parties believe it makes sense to continue to work hard to reach agreement,” said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. “This extension provides both MLS and the players the opportunity to continue our discussions while clubs are in training camps preparing for the 2010 MLS season.”

“Both the Players Union and MLS have concluded that a new agreement will not be reached by February 1, but we have agreed to continue to talk and we will be meeting over the next two weeks to determine if a new agreement can be reached,” said Players Union Executive Director Bob Foose.  “In the meantime, MLS Players are reporting to training camp, and preparations for the 2010 season will continue.”

The current CBA, the first in MLS history, is a five-year agreement that had been scheduled to expire on Jan. 31, 2010.

Don Garber and the owners are hoping to get a CBA done. (Getty Images)

Its really turning into the final countdown here. Sunday is the final day of the current MLS CBA and if a deal isn’t reached between the players and the owners we could be faced with some serious issues on our hand.

Soccer America is reporting this morning that the two sides have been actively working on sorting out the issues. In fact the two sides met yesterday for a very long eight-hour meeting. For two sides that don’t see eye-to-eye at the moment an eight hour meeting is a long time to be in a room with one another.

We’ve been hearing whispers all week that things are getting better for the players side of things. More than likely they are giving up on some of the bigger issues in order to get something done on time. They know the owners aren’t going to cave into their every demands. Being that this is a World Cup year and transferring out of the league right now probably won’t happen the players just need something in order to get on the field in time.

I wouldn’t be at all shocked to see just a modest increase in the salary and the salary cap, along with some semi-guaranteed contracts (or two years guaranteed) to the table. There also is a possibility of some sort of retirement plan added to the table that seems to be a need of the players as well.

Freddie Ljungberg speaks and I listen, simple as that. (Getty Images)

I won’t lie to ya, anytime I see something Freddie Ljungberg says I believe it to be the truth. That is unless something morally tells me not to do so but 98% of the time I take his word for what it is. Today is no different.

We know of the “issues” between Ljungberg and his club Seattle from this week where he was missing from the start of training camp. I didn’t go all crazy over them because I knew he’d eventually come out and address any rumors on his blog…and today he did just that and more.

Earlier we had heard he wasn’t going to show up to camp because of the CBA issue with the players and the league. Well now we know, because he told us so, that he’ll show up on February 1st and that he hears some interesting news about the CBA.

Based on the latest news I’ve heard from both sides,  there wont be a lock out or strike on Feb 1. So from Feb 1 I will be with my team in Seattle trying to help them become the best team in America.

Now I know he said there hasn’t been an agreement made yet but seeing something like that from him or any player that has some knowledge of what is going on with the CBA negotiations lets me believe that a deal is very close here. A player saying there won’t be a strike or a lock out is big. Yes no deal in place yet but I firmly believe one will be here by the end of the week.

Don’t worry though about me, if Ljungberg told me to jump off a bridge I wouldn’t do it.

Today another player has come out and said that he is feeling optimistic about a new CBA. Seattle defender Jame Riley, who has at times been out spoken on the CBA and its issues is getting a better feeling on things, though like other players he isn’t saying a whole lot just yet.

He did however say the one main issue is player movement.

I know this isn’t much but to me its getting there between the two sides. Hearing more players say their are optimistic about this sounds like the two are close to figuring this thing out and not having any work stoppages.

“We have advised our players to report to camp as planned. In the meantime, we will continue to meet with the league to determine if an agreement can be reached. As of this date, however, we have no agreement on a new CBA.”

My gut feeling is a deal is getting close to being done here. It may not be right on time but I don’t see a work stoppage happening here.

After weeks without much progress being made, Wolyniec said concessions have been made on both sides and he termed his feeling as “hopeful.” He added that the major sticking points now are “non-economic.”

Maybe that positive vibe that Steve Goff was mentioning yesterday was something.

Hearing that concessions have been made does show progress. It will be interesting to see exactly what concessions Woly is talking about here. Still its another positive sign that something will be done here, and possibly on time too.