Houston Dynamo goalkeeper Pat Onstad holds out hope that a labour deal can be reached between MLS and the players union and that a work stoppage can be avoided. (Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press)

With the possibility of a work stoppage looming, Major League Soccer and the league's players union are getting serious about trying to reach a new labour agreement.

The two sides met in New York on Tuesday and Wednesday for the latest round of negotiations before the current labour deal expires Jan. 31.

If there isn't a new collective bargaining agreement by the end of the month, the 2010 MLS season could be delayed or even wiped out by a lockout or a strike.

But Houston Dynamo goalkeeper Pat Onstad, a veteran of seven MLS seasons, is encouraged by the current round of talks and hopeful a deal will be reached in time to avoid a work stoppage of any kind.

"I'm cautiously optimistic," Onstad, one of five players on the union's executive board, told CBCSports.ca on Wednesday. "We're at the table, we're negotiating, we're moving forward, and I think, from both sides, a work stoppage would be detrimental to the negotiating process."

A few hurdles to go

Onstad warned there are still some "major issues and hurdles to get over," but he gave credit to the league and the union for already making concessions at the table.

"Both sides have conceded certain things that are important to each party and now we only have two or three major stumbling blocks, which is a lot better where we were two weeks ago when we had 15 or 16," Onstad said.

Dan Courtemanche, a senior vice-president with MLS, confirmed the league and union are in active discussions.

"Beyond that, we have no further update at this time," Courtemanche wrote in an email to CBCSports.ca. "We are moving forward with the 2010 season as planned, as many MLS clubs have started their pre-season training."

Time is of the essence, since most MLS teams will begin pre-season training camps by early February, and the regular season begins March 25.

That the league and union are even talking is a good sign, according to Onstad, who a short while ago was convinced the players would be locked out Feb. 1.

"Two weeks ago, I would have said there would be no chance, we were so far apart," Onstad said. "There really wasn't any negotiating taking place, but the tone and mood has completely changed and I think you have to give MLS and the union credit that they finally decided to take this process seriously."

Issues at the heart of the labour dispute are the structure of contracts and the security and freedom of players.

MLS is a single-entity structure, which means all players sign with the league rather than individual teams. The union alleges that close to 80 per cent of players in MLS are on non-guaranteed contracts.

"From a league standpoint, they like their business model, the single-entity thing, and we would love to see clubs have more power," Onstad said. "I think those are issues that both sides are conceding a little bit to each party."

Under the current agreement, players can be transferred to another club without their consent. Even when a player is released from his contract, he's not free to sign with another team in the league.

"I think there have been so many of those stories around the league," Onstad said, adding that many players want the restrictive provision changed before another deal is signed.

Hoping for middle ground

Is there a middle ground between a single-entity structure and a system that would give players more freedom of movement?

"I hope so," Onstad said. "I think that's really going to be the ultimate question in terms of moving forward and getting a deal done."

Any type of work stoppage could be disastrous for MLS in a year when the expansion Philadelphia Union are slated to join the league as the 16th franchise and when the FIFA World Cup in South Africa will grab the attention of the majority of soccer fans in the United States and Canada.

"A lockout or a strike doesn't help anyone," Toronto FC midfielder Dwayne De Rosario told CBCSports.ca. "I don't think the players are asking for a whole lot. I think [our demands] are reasonable, so hopefully they'll come to a decision soon and we can get on with our jobs."