USLPA authorizes players strike unless agreement with USL is reached

According to reports, led by ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle, the USL Players Assocation Players Association (USLPA) has voted to authorize its bargaining committee to call a strike unless an agreement with the USL can be reached on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for players in the USL-Championship, the union disclosed to ESPN.

USLPA also posted this on its social media platforms on Friday.

Later on Friday, USL Headquarters responded with a message of its own.

Most recently, Pittsburgh Riverhounds’ veteran midfielder, Robbie Mertz told Pittsburgh Soccer Now,that it’s been ‘tough sledding’ as the CBA had been expired since December 31.

Mertz also shared with free-lance reporter Matthew Baldwin, formerly of PSN and DK Pittsburgh Sports, that the chances of a strike happening were ‘not zero.’

Riverhounds Notebook: Robbie Mertz admits ‘it’s been tough sledding’ as expired CBA looms over start of season

The most recent bargaining session took place last Thursday, and was notable for the presence of a mediator from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, the USLPA said in a statement obtained by ESPN.

The USL made its latest proposal on Feb. 18, and according to USLPA was little changed from the previous proposal.

The USL Championship’s reigning title-holders, Riverhounds are scheduled to kickoff the season next Saturday, at Charleston.

The rift has endured for more than 18 months, when USLPA began to start negotiating a new deal, with little progress.  On December 31, the existing Collective Bargaining Agreement between the two sides expired.

USLPA has pushing for improved standards and working to negotiate an updated CBA, while it’s been pretty quiet on the USL headquarters.

Mertz, who has served on the USLPA Executive Board in recent years and said while things are in flux with who the team’s Player Representative would be this year, was on Sounding Off On Soccer Podcast in mid-February, added his disappointment.

“It’s been going on, I think, 16 months, something like that now. Hundreds of hours for everyone involved. So it hasn’t been easy, and certainly progress has been… has been slow, at the bargaining table,” Mertz said.

Mertz reitered how he felt about the League, which robbed the Hounds players of the opportunity for a full-fledged post-match celebration after clinching the franchise’s first-ever USL Championship title win in Tulsa in November.

Players from the Hounds and Tulsa, along with fans in attendance, made a statement in the pregame walk-in ceremony, with the players wearing T-shirts (and fans holding signs) which read:  USL HQ: Pro-Rel? Try Pro Standards First.

“I think what happened there that day, was very disappointing from the league end of things,” Mertz added.

This is a developing story.  We will update with more details and add reaction as it becomes available.