Major League Soccer (MLS) and union referees have finalized a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), ending a month-long labor lockout that saw union referees on the sidelines.

The new CBA, which the union voted to ratify on March 25, expires in early 2031 and includes adjustments to salaries and travel accommodations. After the union, the Professional Soccer Referees Association (PSRA), rejected a tentative agreement with the league’s Professional Referee Organization (PRO) in February, PRO locked out officials from league matches, impacting about 100 union referees during grueling months of negotiations. 

PRO General Manager Mark Geiger said in a press release that PSRA referees would be back on the pitch right on time for that weekend’s slate of games after negotiators from both parties reached a tentative agreement the week of March 18. 

“This seven-year term provides enhanced pay and benefits for all officials and the stability that will support the growth of the professional game in the U.S. and Canada,” he said. 

Negotiations between both parties reached an impasse last month after PSRA referees overwhelmingly voted down a PRO proposal. Before that, negotiations necessitated the presence of a federal mediator, and both sides have since filed unfair labor practice claims with the National Labor Relations Board.

Now, both parties are moving forward.

“On behalf of PRO, I would like to thank the PSRA negotiating team and the federal mediator for their commitment to finding a mutually agreeable conclusion to these negotiations and their hard work in finalizing the terms,” Geiger added.

In a press statement, PSRA President and lead negotiator Peter Manikowski thanked the union’s negotiating team. He said the union hopes to build on the agreement in years to come as soccer continues to grow in North America.

“Standing strong with each other, we have been buoyed by the support of players, fans, supporters clubs, and other unionized workgroups during our employer-imposed lockout,” he said. “Together, we have won much-needed improvements demonstrating the value of having the best referees in MLS on the pitch.”

What is in the new agreement?

Based on an analysis of the new CBA’s terms performed by The Athletic, pay for referee crews will increase significantly overnight. MLS games typically feature a main referee, three assistants, and one or two video assistant referees (VAR). Based on an analysis of the 2019 certified bargaining agreement performed by The Post Cincy, a fan-run outlet, referees could earn about $108,000, assistants could earn approximately $21,000, and VAR officials could earn about $4,700, with additional per-match bonuses.

Those baselines would reportedly increase by about 32% for referees, 90% for assistants, and about 106% for VAR officials. Per-match bonuses also went up between 11-22% depending on the referee’s roles. Those gains will continue to grow until the end of the CBA.

Travel accommodations, according to The Athletic’s reporting, were also slightly improved. Now, referees will have access to first-class air travel during post-season games. The new CBA also includes other concessions regarding scheduling flights for regular season matches. Manikowski said better seating during air travel can help officials travel more comfortably and speed up their post-game recovery. 

How did referees get here?

Union referees felt their demands were simple. They wanted a piece of the MLS’ rising revenue. One that would be commensurate with their contributions to the game. 

“We are really the talent that keeps the matches flowing, keeps the matches entertaining, and lets the players show their skills. For that reason, we cannot be left behind,” Manikowski said.

While both parties negotiated, the league continued to hold games, calling in replacement referees with experience officiating lower tiers of U.S. Soccer. Union leaders, referees, and fans say this affected the quality of games. 

In a social media post on March 8, PSRA officials said the replacement referees sent 22 critical game decisions for a video review across the 29 games in the season’s first two weeks. PSRA officials only had two video reviews of erroneous calls across the first two weeks of last season.

“From missed calls, phantom cards being given, improper use, or lack thereof, of VAR, the outcomes of too many matches were affected by the decisions of the replacement refs. Refereeing is difficult, and while refs are often the scapegoats for sporting events, in addition to these refs crossing a picket line, they were set up for failure by both PRO and MLS,” the group said in a Facebook message.

A PRO spokesperson said substitute referees all have experience in the top three divisions of U.S. Soccer and that the league is not concerned about their experience or character.

“We know they’re bigger games, but at every stage of their development, [these referees] step up to do bigger and bigger games. They’re used to it. They know what the process involves,” the spokesperson said.

The lack of substitute referees’ experience in the MLS raised concerns among union officials, players, referees, and fans about the quality of officiating in the league while PSRA referees remained locked out.

There were also concerns, especially among players, about the quality of the contests.

“The use of replacement referees will not only negatively impact the quality and results of our matches, it may also jeopardize the health and safety of players,” the MLS Players Association said in a statement urging the PRO to return to the negotiating table and hammer out a deal with the PSRA.

Nick Uranga, who has been an assistant referee in the MLS since 2017, said PSRA referees are best able to understand the flow of the game and how certain actions impact the game according to the rule book. 

“Every person who does these games has experience that you cannot replicate,” he said. “You cannot just pick that up.”

Ardent soccer fans also decried the league’s decision to lock out union referees and coordinated actions to show solidarity with the workers. 

Austin FC supporter groups Los Verdes and La Murga asked fans to boycott the concession stand at Q2 Stadium in Austin and avoid purchasing products supporting the MLS or the club. 

For Austin’s home opener against Minnesota at the end of February, the two groups also passed out about 2,000 red cards that read, “Bring back the real refs,” and hung banners from the stands that read, “Austin is a union town.”

Over the last four years, the MLS has experienced massive growth in revenues, international visibility, and increased fan attention, partly due to the arrival of stars like Lionel Messi, who is widely considered the best player in the sport’s history.

The league recently inked a massive $2.5 billion streaming deal with Apple last year, bringing in significant yearly revenue and generating commercial opportunities because of the added visibility. Valuations of the average MLS teams have also grown significantly, from $313 million in 2019 to about $678 million last year. 

As PSRA referees return to the pitch, fans who have stood in solidarity with the union say the CBA is a win. 

“Their ability to match the pace of the game at this level is commendable,” members of The Bucket Hat Brigade said. “Providing referees with stable contracts, with fair pay and benefits, allows them to focus solely on officiating matches, ensuring a high-quality experience for fans.”