Feb. 1, 3:15 p.m. update:
Per a tweet from the NWSLPA, the Board of Governors has now formally approved the CBA.
Original story:
On the eve of the preseason, the NWSL Players Association has ratified the league’s first-ever collective bargaining agreement, according to a statement from the association. The CBA is still subject to final approval by the NWSL Board of Governors.
The Athletic’s Meg Linehan has reported the Board of Governors has a vote planned for Feb. 1.
“From our inception, the Players Association has put players first,” NWSLPA President Tori Huster said in the statement. “Our mission in this historic CBA was to put this same philosophy at the center of NWSL’s future. With the amount of care and attention that we have given this process since Fall 2020, we are proud that players can confidently enter the tenth season of the NWSL in a better position than ever before.”
According to a statement from the league, the CBA runs through the 2026 season. The league’s statement also included statements from two team representatives, Kansas City Current co-owner Angie Long and NJ/NY Gotham FC owner and vice chair Ed Nalbandia.
“This historic agreement formalizes a partnership between owners, front offices and players that is absolutely critical for our league’s long-term growth and success,” Nalbandian said in the statement. “I want to thank the players and NWSLPA Executive Director Meghann Burke for the partnership they’ve exhibited in negotiating an agreement that prioritizes player safety, club accountability, and the financial well-being of our players and league. We’re all in this together, and I want to thank my fellow owners for committing the resources that our players so richly deserve. I also want to thank our representatives at the negotiating table, namely Brad Estes, John Walker, and Gotham FC’s own Yael Averbuch, whose expertise and unique perspective proved invaluable.”
Both the NWSLPA and league shared details of the agreement in their statements, highlighting the improvements to compensation and player safety, as well as the introduction of free agency based on a player’s years of service beginning in 2023.
These improvements included, but are not limited to, an increase in minimum salary, guaranteed season start and end windows, paid parental leave for both birth and adoption, a minimum on medical staff member requirements and mental health leave.
North Carolina Courage captain Abby Erceg was one of many players around the league who took to Twitter to celebrate the CBA.
With the negotiations, which began nearly a year ago, running right up until the final day before preseason, The Athletic had previously reported on Jan. 20 that players would not report to camp without a CBA. However, the NWSLPA has now announced that players will report on Feb. 1.
