The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Board of Directors formally approved the first collective bargaining agreement in women’s soccer history on Tuesday.
The full CBA has yet to be published, but the NWSL Players Association said it includes a 160 percent increase in minimum salary to $35,000 with promised 4 percent increases year over year; four weeks of severance pay and 30 days of housing and health insurance guaranteed for players waived by their clubs; and increased player safety measures, including up to six months paid mental health leave and eight weeks paid parental leave.
The deal was first ratified and announced Monday night, but it required the board’s stamp of approval. Players reported to preseason camps Tuesday with peace of mind about their labor situation.
“The strength, resilience, and solidarity of this extraordinary group of players and people is what secured this landmark agreement,” NWSLPA executive director Meghann Burke said in a statement. “Players drove every decision in this process. Over more than 40 bargaining sessions, these players stood strong and stood together, right up to the moment of ratification. This is a historic moment not only for our sport and our League, but for all working people who stand up and stand together.”
NWSL interim CEO Marla Messing called it “a historic moment” for the sport.
“This transformative agreement represents deserved advancements for our players,” Messing said in a statement, “including significantly stronger compensation packages and benefits, enhanced training and playing environments, and a long-term commitment to continually improve the standards we all regard as essential to securing our position as the best women’s soccer league in the world.”
A successor to other women’s professional leagues in the U.S., the NWSL was established in 2012 and currently has 12 teams, including the expansion San Diego Wave FC about to begin their inaugural season.
–Field Level Media