Part 2: NWSL CBA rules governing the union
The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) bargained in good faith with the National Women’s Soccer League Players’ Association (NWSLPA) over the course of 40 bargaining sessions to get a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) ratified and executed. The bargaining sessions started in the Fall of 2020 with the final CBA officially executed on April 29, 2022.
This is Part 2 of a multi-part series analyzing the CBA from my perspective as a sports attorney and sports business professional. I will provide commentary and insight into the intricacies of the CBA.
The Position of Power - Professional Male Athletes
Often I see articles centered around the plight of female athletes whether at the professional, semi-professional, or college level. However, I find less content centered around the professional male athlete and how their position of power, when not used in advocacy, is one of the biggest detriments to female athletes. Professional male athletes, in North America, who are currently playing have never been without a union. However, many female athletes who are currently playing have only recently had the luxury of union support and bargaining in a position of power.
Day 5 & 6 of the MLB Lockout 2021
Despite the gains the MLB Players had made through unionization, there were still inequities to resolve. In 1972, baseball player Curt Flood unsuccessfully challenged the reserve clause, which bound players to the same team for life or until the club released them, in court going all the way to The United States Supreme Court. Even though he did not receive the verdict he wanted, it brought the issue to the main stage.