The following is a release from Major League Soccer:
CHICAGO (March 4, 2015) -- Major League Soccer (MLS) and the Major League Soccer Players Union today announced that they have reached agreement in principle on the terms of a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) covering five seasons, commencing with the 2015 season and continuing through the 2019 season.
“We are pleased to finalize the framework for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement with our players,” said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. “We now enter our 20th season with enormous momentum with our new television partnerships, dynamic star players from the US, Canada and abroad, and two new expansion teams in New York City and Orlando that will debut in front of more than 60,000 fans on Sunday in the Citrus Bowl. This agreement will provide a platform for our players, ownership and management to work together to help build Major League Soccer into one of the great soccer leagues in the world.”
• Chicago Fire 2015 Season & Single-Game Tickets
The concluding phase of the negotiations was conducted under the auspices of Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service Deputy Director of Mediation Services and Field Operations Scot Beckenbaugh and Mediator Peter Donatello.
“We are pleased to announce that we have reached a new Collective Bargaining Agreement with the league,” said Bob Foose, Executive Director of the MLS Players Union. “We are pleased to finally turn our fans attention back to our players and the competition on the field as we get started on the 2015 season.
MEMBERS OF THE CHICAGO FIRE SOCCER CLUB ISSUE STATEMENTS ON NEW CBA
Head Coach and Director of Soccer Frank Yallop:
“We’re excited to hear the news and turn our focus entirely onto Friday’s game. I know the boys can’t wait to get on the field and start the season. We had a strong day of training here in Los Angeles and look forward to playing the Galaxy in the opener.”
Defender Jeff Larentowicz, MLS Players Union Executive Board Member:
“We’re very pleased to have a new Collective Bargaining Agreement in place before the start of the season. It was an intense process but this agreement gives players more rights and freedom than we’ve ever had before in MLS. Both sides of these discussions were committed to coming to a solution that would ultimately benefit everyone involved while helping the sport of soccer continue its upward trajectory in North America. Working alongside bright young players like Chris Ritter and Harry Shipp as Union representatives only strengthens my belief that these coming years are going to be exciting times not only in MLS but for the Fire. I’m looking forward to opening the season on Friday against the Galaxy and seeing all of our fans at Toyota Park on March 14.”
Major League Soccer’s 20th season kicks off Friday, March 6 when the Chicago Fire take on the defending MLS Cup champion LA Galaxy in a nationally televised match on UniMás at 10 p.m. ET. The other 18 MLS clubs are in action on March 7 and 8, including a tripleheader on “MLS Soccer Sunday” when expansion teams Orlando City SC and New York City FC battle in front of 60,000 fans in the Citrus Bowl (5 p.m. ET, ESPN2), and Fox Sports 1 televises back-to-back MLS matches when Sporting Kansas City host the New York Red Bulls (7 p.m. ET) and Seattle Sounders FC welcome 2014 MLS Cup runners-up, the New England Revolution (9:30 p.m. ET).
