Jeff Carlisle, a distinguished U.S. soccer correspondent for ESPN FC, reports that the month-long standoff involving Major League Soccer (MLS) referees has come to a close. Late Monday night, the Professional Soccer Referees Association (PSRA) voted in favor of a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the Professional Referee Organization (PRO), marking the end of the lockout.
The Athletic first broke the news of the CBA’s ratification, a development later confirmed by ESPN sources. As a result, PRO’s senior match officials are set to return to the field for the seventh matchday of the MLS season starting March 30.
The PSRA expressed gratitude towards the vast number of officials across the U.S. and Canada for their solidarity, strength, and professionalism during the lockout. “Together, we secured significant improvements and demonstrated the importance of having top-tier referees in Major League Soccer,” the association stated on Tuesday.
An overwhelming majority of the eligible voters participated in the ratification vote, with 93 out of 97 casting their ballots. Seventy-two voted in favor, translating to a 77.4% approval rate.
During the lockout, MLS resorted to using replacement referees, a decision that came with its set of challenges.
Mark Geiger, the general manager of PRO, expressed relief and anticipation for the return of the senior match officials. “This seven-year agreement brings enhanced pay and benefits for all officials and provides the stability needed for the professional game’s growth in the United States and Canada,” Geiger stated. He extended his gratitude to the PSRA negotiating team and the federal mediator for their dedication to reaching a mutually beneficial conclusion.
The duration of the new CBA, spanning seven years, was initially a point of contention among union members, who were concerned about the agreement covering two World Cup cycles without an opportunity for renegotiation. However, the deal was ultimately approved, although it does not include retroactive pay for the lockout period, only for January and part of February.
The negotiation process saw the PSRA membership initially authorizing a potential strike after the previous CBA expired on January 15. Despite temporary extensions and a tentative agreement reached on February 14, the union membership overwhelmingly rejected the proposal due to insufficient monetary increases and changes to travel benefits. The rejection led to PRO locking out the referees on February 17, marking the second instance of replacement referees being used during CBA negotiations.
The situation escalated as both parties filed Unfair Labor Practices with the National Labor Relations Board. Despite attempts by MLS to highlight the replacement referees’ adequate performance, data revealed a significant increase in VAR interventions compared to the previous season, alongside a notable incident involving a referee’s impartiality.
In the end, a second tentative agreement reached last Friday was approved, introducing millions in wage increases for referees, assistant referees, VAR officials, and assistant VAR officials. While the deal saw improvements in travel benefits, it remained unchanged from the initial tentative agreement, according to ESPN sources.