NEW YORK — The 2024 Major Soccer League (MLS) season began with replacement referees amid a lockout during collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations.
The MLS announced on Saturday that the Professional Referee Organization (PRO) informed the league it is locking out the match officials as of 12:01 a.m. on Feb. 18 after the Professional Soccer Referees Association (PSRA), the labor union representing professional referees in North America and Canada, voted down the CBA.
MLS officials said in a release that the two organizations previously reached an agreement, which included the largest compensation increase in PRO referee CBA history, representing a 25% overall increase over 2023 when comparing salaries, game fees, benefits, plus the addition of business class travel for certain matches. The Athletic reported that leadership for both groups agreed to the CBA, but the PSRA members overwhelmingly voted 95.8% "no."
The agreement would have made PRO members among the highest paid soccer match officials in the world, MLS officials added in the release.
Major League Soccer Executive Vice President of Sporting Product & Competition Nelson Rodríguez issued the following statement:
“It's extremely disappointing that the officials have voted against the tentative agreement on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement reached by the Professional Soccer Referees Association and the Professional Referee Organization. PRO worked for months and addressed all the issues that were raised by PSRA’s bargaining unit. It is also unfortunate that the PSRA rejected PRO’s offer for a mutual no strike - no lockout commitment, which would have allowed all match officials to continue working during ongoing negotiations."
Rodríguez added that "PRO has informed us of its contingency plan for the upcoming MLS season, which includes utilizing experienced professional match referees supported by veteran VAR officials," and said the league is "confident in the comprehensive plan they have put in place.”
In a statement to The Athletic, PRSA president and lead negotiator Peter Manikowski said:
“We live for the game, giving it 100 per cent of our dedication, experience, fitness and ability. The skyrocketing growth of MLS has significantly increased demands on officials mentally and physically, and as such has increased demands on both our professional and personal time. Our members are asking not only for fair compensation at a time when the league is reporting record growth, but also for the ability to take care of themselves on the road and at home to continue officiating at the highest level this sport demands.”
The MLS season kicked off Wednesday, Feb. 21, as Inter Miami defeated Real Salt Lake, 2-0.
Before the match, MLS Season Pass correspondent Taylor Twellman asked MLS Commissioner Don Garber about the lockout. Garber, in part, said "I don't even know what it is that they want at this point." Listen to his response in the interview here:
The first full slate of games is Saturday, Feb. 24, including FC Dallas' opening match against San Jose Earthquakes.
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