Major League Soccer (MLS) and union referees have finalized a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), ending a month-long labor lockout that saw union referees on the sidelines.

The new CBA, which the union voted to ratify on March 25, expires in early 2031 and includes adjustments to salaries and travel accommodations. After the union, the Professional Soccer Referees Association (PSRA), rejected a tentative agreement with the league’s Professional Referee Organization (PRO) in February, PRO locked out officials from league matches, impacting about 100 union referees during grueling months of negotiations.

PRO General Manager Mark Geiger said in a press release that PSRA referees would be back on the pitch right on time for that weekend’s slate of games after negotiators from both parties reached a tentative agreement the week of March 18.

“This seven-year term provides enhanced pay and benefits for all officials and the stability that will support the growth of the professional game in the U.S. and Canada,” he said.

Negotiations between both parties reached an impasse last month after PSRA referees overwhelmingly voted down a PRO proposal. Before that, negotiations necessitated the presence of a federal mediator, and both sides have since filed unfair labor practice claims with the National Labor Relations Board.

Now, both parties are moving forward.

“On behalf of PRO, I would like to thank the PSRA negotiating team and the federal mediator for their commitment to finding a mutually agreeable conclusion to these negotiations and their hard work in finalizing the terms,” Geiger added.

In a press statement, PSRA President and lead negotiator Peter Manikowski thanked the union’s negotiating team. He said the union hopes to build on the agreement in years to come as soccer continues to grow in North America.

“Standing strong with each other, we have been buoyed by the support of players, fans, supporters clubs, and other unionized workgroups during our employer-imposed lockout,” he said. “Together, we have won much-needed improvements demonstrating the value of having the best referees in MLS on the pitch.”

read more: https://prismreports.org/2024/04/03/major-league-soccer-referees-end-labor-lockout/