CHICAGO, IL–On Monday, the National Women’s Soccer League’s Players Association announced that they have ratified a collective bargaining agreement with the league. The agreement is subject to approval by the NWSL Board of Governors, Players will report to preseason camp on Tuesday with the safety, security, and protections of a collectively bargained contract that the union says ‘sets NWSL on a positive trajectory for the future.’
“From our inception, the Players Association has put players first,” said President Tori Huster in a 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.”
The union said that more than 30 current NWSL players devoted hundreds, perhaps more than a thousand, hours to securing this landmark agreement across over 40 bargaining sessions.
Among the items included in the CBA include the following:
Compensation:
– 160% increase in minimum salary to $35k, with 4% year over year increases
– Step-ladder increases in 2022 salaries to protect players above the minimum in 2021 401K plan with matching contributions from League commencing in 2023 Minimum standards for housing stipends
Free Agency:
– Free Agency starting in 2023 (6 Service Years)
– Free Agency starting in 2024 (5 Service Years)
– Restricted Free Agency starting in 2024 (3 Service Years)
– 4 weeks severance pay + 30 days housing & health insurance for waived players
Player Safety:
– Robust workers comp coverage
– Up to 6 months paid mental health leave
– 8 weeks paid parental leave (birth or adoption)
– Clean, private nursing facilities for parents
– Professional minimum staffing standards for healthcare professionals
– No more playing on fields that require substantial conversion to the dimensions of a soccer field
The NWSLPA will make the entirety of the ratified Collective Bargaining Agreement publicly available on its website in the coming weeks.
