(Reuters) - Major League Soccer referees will return to work this weekend after ratifying a new collective bargaining agreement that ends a month-long lockout that saw replacement referees in place to start the season, the league said on Tuesday.
The seven-year agreement between the Professional Referee Organization (PRO) and Professional Soccer Referees Association (PSRA) runs through 2030 and is the longest labor deal for match officials in MLS history, according to the league.
"We look forward to having the PRO match officials return this weekend, and we thank MLS players, coaches and clubs for their professionalism, and our fans for their support throughout the opening month of the season," MLS Executive Vice President Nelson Rodriguez said in a news release.
After the PSRA rejected a proposed new labor pact in mid-February, the PRO locked out referees ahead of the 2024 MLS season opener featuring Argentine great Lionel Messi's Inter Miami club.
At the time, the PSRA said the failed ratification was driven by issues with the compensation and benefits PRO was offering, as well as a lack of improvements to travel, scheduling and other quality-of-life issues.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
