Late last night, the Professional Lacrosse Players Association ended its twelve-day strike, agreeing to play the 2004 under the terms of the previous collective bargaining agreement.

In an eleventh-hour development, the PLPA's Executive Committee voted to approve the league's latest offer, to play under the 2001-2003 CBA with several modifications.

"We’ve reached an agreement that will allow the season to be played with the best lacrosse players in the world, and without any interruption for the upcoming season," NLL commissioner Jim Jennings said.

"We can now turn our attention to what should be a great season. I would like to thank all of our fans who showed their concern during the past couple of weeks.

"The agreement to play this season under the prior Collective Bargaining Agreement addresses the short term. We remain committed to reaching a long term labor agreement to ensure labor peace for several years to come."

The union had been up against a deadline of noon today to accept the owners' terms and end its strike, or the entire 2004 season would have been cancelled.

Less than thirteen hours remained when the players elected to return.

"You have teams that are starting play in the United States in eight days," Toronto Rock president Brad Watters told the Toronto Sun, in discussing the owners' decision on Tuesday to set the drop-dead point.

"We just couldn't let this go on any longer."

The most significant modification to the previous CBA, which expired on 31 July, was the elimination of the non-dress pay scale. Players will now be paid their entire contracted salary, regardless of whether they dress for a game or are scratched.

Previously, players were paid a fixed salary of $187.50 (American) -- the equivalent of $3000 for an entire season -- for games in which they did not dress.

Among the other modifications for the one-year extension are the inclusion of practice pay in player salaries and a minor change in travel reimbursement rules.

The two sides plan to return to the bargaining table shortly, to hammer out a long-term agreement.

In the meantime, PLPA will need to deal with dozens of strike-breaking players, who (as expected) are being subjected to accusations of weakening the union's negotiating position.

"With the exception of a few select individuals with perhaps a different agenda, the players showed unwavering support for the PLPA Executive Committee and their positions," the union said in a press release.

"The Executive Committee voted unanimously to support whatever the negotiating committee considered to be the best for the players and the game of lacrosse."

Twenty-one Vancouver Ravens reportedly signed contracts well before the walkout ended, as perhaps did at least six members of the Colorado Mammoth (maybe as many as nineteen, depending on whose story you believe).

While Vancouver has not yet named its signees, the Mammoth released a list this morning identifying the nineteen players who have inked contracts so far. Understandably, there is no mention of when players signed (i.e., during the strike or afterwards).

The Mammoth reports the following signings: forwards Bryan Cole, Gary Gait, Del Halladay, Jay Jalbert, Brian Langtry, Josh Sims, Curtis Smith, and Jeff Sonke; defensemen Geoff Bieging, Danny Cocci, Nick Carlson, John Gallant, Jamie Hanford, Brian Potter, Brian Reese, Dave Stilley, and Trevor Tierney; and goaltenders Erik Miller and Tom Still.