Tomorrow is D-Day for Major League Soccer. Their collective bargaining agreement with the players’ union expires, and it looks likely that some sort of work stoppage will occur.

From where I sit, for things to change in MLS — changes I sincerely feel would ultimately benefit the owners, the players and the fans — the players may have to strike.

But let’s also state the obvious: a work stoppage could deal a major blow to MLS.

The league has made strides in building infrastructure, but it has a long way to go toward proving that it is a major American sports league. Like it or not, the quality of soccer in MLS is mediocre, due in large part to the fact that the league is unwilling to pay market wages for players in a global sport.

MLS’ tight-fisted approach may have been good business, but it has measurably hurt the league. The quality on the field is tough to sell in a country that has a long tradition of putting the best professional athletes on the field. The low salaries in MLS have driven a number of American players abroad — not to marquee destinations, mind you, but to places like Scandinavia. I’ve also always felt that the low pay here keeps the possible talent pool available to MLS damn small: what 15-year old with athletic talent is going to chose a sport paying him $30K a year if he can possibly play another one paying him $2m a year?

Now, before you fire off angry letters, let’s also state the obvious: MLS is losing money. It has lost money for quite a while. No one expects MLS to go out and bid against Chelsea or AC Milan for talent, and no rank-and-file MLS player expects to be compensated as if he were on an EPL squad. MLS has also done a very good job in getting stadiums built (if not always in filling them) and has weathered not one, but two major financial storms. And, some players are well paid: Landon Donovan and David Beckham are probably each earning what they are worth.

That shouldn’t overshadow the fact that vast majority of players are being asked to live in big cities, with high costs of living, on shoestring wages. Can you imagine trying to make a go of it in Manhattan on $30,000 a year? How about Chicago on $20,000? Keep in mind that you’re being paid to remain in peak physical condition, show up and entertain tens of thousands of people, do community outreach and sell your sport. Bluntly, a lot of these young men are playing for the love of the game — and they are being exploited, to boot.

What the union wants is pretty simple — and to my way of thinking, pretty reasonable. They’d like the freedom to negotiate with individual teams instead of MLS HQ. They’d like free agency, more guaranteed contracts and the money they get when they transfer overseas to go into their bank accounts, not the league's. The union also has a good point about MLS playing fast and lose with FIFA regulations, even if FIFA seems disinclined to stand up for its work force.

Finally, the union notes that while MLS says it wants to put more money into the league, MLS’ current offer would actually result in a net loss to the players. The “raise” being offered has been calculated by my colleague Kyle McCarthy at 4.8%. I feel compelled to point out that 4.8% of virtually nothing remains virtually nothing.

What does MLS want? Well, like many businessmen, they’d like things to stay just the same. Things are OK for them right now, so why rock the boat? This isn’t surprising to me, but I do find it short-sighted.

MLS’ owners are not stupid men, but they seem to have a blind spot when it comes to the product on the field and the relationship they have with their workers. I have gotten the sense that some of MLS’ owners lump their players into the same category as guys in the NBA, NFL and NHL (understandable, considering that some of them also own some of those teams) without thinking for a second about the vast disparity in salaries between the leagues.

I’ve also wondered if some of these same folks are waging a proxy fight against the weaker MLSPU in advance of the coming labor negotiations in the other big leagues just mentioned.

MLS, and its players are not the NFL.

The players don’t want to paid or treated as if they were. But they do want to have some basic rights, some money to feed their families, and above all, some dignity. I can’t see how anyone could begrudge them that.

MORE ON THE MLS-MLSPU

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For background: Jason Davis’ “Super Fun Guide to the MLS CBA!”

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CSKA v Sevilla 1215 Setanta

Fiorentina v AC Milan 1230 FSE/RAI

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