ESPN: MLS Reaches CBA Deal with Players’ Union, Avoiding Strike
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George Frey/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — Major League Soccer and the MLS Players Union reached an agreement in principle on a new collective bargaining agreement, according to ESPN.com.
The deal is reached just days before the 2015 regular season is set to start on Friday.
The two sides have been negotiating since last December. One of the main issues surrounded having a limited version of free agency, which has never existed in the league.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, the new CBA is a five-year deal that creates free agency for players 28 years of age or older with at least eight years of experience.
MLS and the MLSPU negotiated from Tuesday until around six o’clock Wednesday morning.
The season kicks off Friday when the reigning champions, the Los Angeles Galaxy, host the Chicago Fire.
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