All articles tagged with #lockout
MLB has sent teams a memo outlining procedures for a likely lockout starting December 1, when the current collective bargaining agreement expires. The league aims to freeze offseason activity to avoid a player strike during the season. Key issues include the status of the Rule 5 draft, player interactions, and potential impacts on the 2027 season and broadcast revenue.
MLB’s national media deals include a provision that could push rights beyond 2028 for an extra year if a lockout causes enough games to be missed, potentially costing the league a full season of higher media revenue; networks would continue payments during the lockout and be reimbursed afterward, giving negotiators leverage as both sides weigh the consequences of delaying higher rights fees.
MLB owners opened the next CBA talks with a salary-cap demand, a move the author says is really about increasing franchise values for a future sale and letting owners cash out; they frame it as cost certainty, but the piece argues the tactic shifts costs to players and won’t replicate the valuation boom seen in the NFL/NBA, citing The Athletic's Evan Drellich, and suggests the owners are likely to lose this fight.
MLB and the MLB Players Association kicked off negotiations in New York for a new collective bargaining agreement, presenting opening positions and signaling a fight over economics such as a potential salary cap and floor. With the current CBA expiring Dec. 1, 2026, a failure to reach an agreement could trigger a lockout that jeopardizes the 2027 season. The talks unfold amid rising revenues, a popularity surge, leadership changes in the union amid a federal probe into its finances, and ongoing concerns about competitive balance.
A forward-looking MLB preview outlines 12 key storylines for 2026, from the Dodgers’ pursuit of a third straight title and the potential impact of the Automated Ball-Strike System, to Tarik Skubal’s final Detroit season before a likely record-breaking free-agent contract, the looming CBA lockout, Tony Vitello’s debut as an MLB manager, a wide-open AL East, and possible surprises like the Marlins, Royals, Reds and Athletics.
With MLB’s current CBA expiring December 1, 2026, a lockout is expected and could threaten the 2027 season. The piece outlines the main negotiating fronts—higher minimum salaries and quicker paths to free agency for players, vs. a salary cap, revised revenue sharing, international draft, and expansion for owners—while noting MLBPA interim leader Bruce Meyer will bargain against MLB’s Dan Halem. Despite tense talks, a full-season cancellation is unlikely, as baseball remains financially healthy, attendance and TV ratings are up, and big TV deals loom after 2028, making a negotiated settlement in everyone’s interest.
The NFL is lining up replacement officials ahead of a possible lockout; NFLRA executive director Scott Green says he’s surprised by the move after 2012’s fiasco and raises concerns about integrity and safety, while the league aims to recruit about 150 officials for a May clinic to trim the pool to ~130.
The NFL has begun identifying potential replacement game officials from college ranks in case negotiations with the NFL Referees Association fail, with plans for background checks, onboarding in April, face-to-face meetings in May, Zoom training over the summer, and on-field work starting in September. The move could create a “scab” dynamic and impact game integrity, especially with gambling stakes higher nationwide. The league didn’t comment, and officials’ targeting beyond college groups is unclear; history points to the 2012 lockout and the infamous Packers-Seahawks game as context.
The BP Whiting refinery in northwest Indiana initiated a lockout after contract negotiations with the United Steelworkers union representing about 900 workers stalled; the union rejected BP’s revised offer following a Tuesday meeting, and the company canceled rolling 24-hour extensions, with the lockout taking effect March 19 unless an agreement is reached. BP says operations will continue under a trained team and frames the move as necessary for the refinery’s long‑term sustainability, while USW leaders accuse BP of seeking to cut more than 100 jobs, reduce pay, and curb bargaining rights. The union has authorized a strike, and the lockout will end if the union accepts the proposal.)
Kyle Tucker’s four-year, $240 million free-agent contract reportedly enraged MLB owners, who are pushing for a salary cap in the ongoing CBA talks. The piece argues this cap has long been owners’ goal and could portend a 2026–27 lockout, potentially canceling the 2027 season, while contending caps don’t guarantee competitive balance and would mainly boost profits, highlighted by debates over revenue sharing and digital-rights deals.
MLB owners are pushing for a salary cap, sparked by the Tucker–Dodgers deal and set to be a major topic at the next owners meeting, with floor/ceiling options on the table. Players have historically fought caps, and with the CBA expiring Dec. 1, a 2027 lockout remains a real possibility if negotiations stall; past labor battles show the potential severity of the dispute, though a deal could still avert a full stoppage.
Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association have held preliminary talks about the sport's economic structure, signaling the start of discussions that could lead to a lockout if a new collective bargaining agreement isn't reached before the current one expires in December 2026. The talks are mostly symbolic at this stage, with substantive negotiations expected to begin next spring, amid ongoing disagreements over issues like salary caps.
Air Canada plans to lock out its flight attendants and cancel all flights starting this weekend due to unresolved labor disputes, with disruptions beginning Thursday and potentially continuing until a deal is reached, after failed negotiations and a union strike notice.
The monthlong lockout of MLS referees has ended after the Professional Soccer Referees Association (PSRA) ratified a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the Professional Referee Organization (PRO) that runs until January 2031. The new CBA provides enhanced pay and benefits for officials and marks the end of a contentious negotiation process that included a lockout and the use of replacement referees. The agreement, approved by a 77.4% vote, also includes retroactive pay for January and part of February, but not for the period of the lockout.
A blown call by a replacement referee during the lockout of top-level officials led to the Philadelphia Union's late equalizer in a 1-1 tie against Kansas City. The referee incorrectly awarded a throw-in to the Union, which quickly led to the corner kick from which Alejandro Bedoya scored. The incident highlighted the impact of the referee lockout on game outcomes and raised concerns about the use of replacement officials in MLS.