WNBA and Union in Dispute: CBA Negotiation with Revenue Proposal Without Limit

WNBA Proposes Revenue Agreement to Players, Dismissing Union Claims

The WNBA announced this Wednesday that it has presented a revenue sharing proposal without a cap to the players. The league has described the players’ association’s statement, which contradicts this assertion, as “frustrating and counterproductive.” This WNBA statement is a new episode in the exchange of public statements between the league and the WNBPA, amid negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement. The union of players had previously expressed their position on the key issue in dispute: the salary model and the distribution of income, and whether these will be fixed or linked to specific growth indicators.

The league is trying to “run out the clock, gloss over an unfavorable situation and reiterate a system that is not linked to any part of the business and that intentionally undervalues the players.

Statement from the Players’ Union

The league responded directly to the union’s claims.

It is incorrect and surprising that the Players Association claims that the WNBA has not offered a revenue-sharing model without a cap that is directly tied to the league’s performance. The comprehensive proposals we have made to the players include a revenue-sharing component that would result in an increase in player compensation as the league’s revenue increases, with no upper limit.

WNBA Statement

The league added that it is “frustrating and counterproductive for the union to make false statements about our proposals, while accusing the league of delay. It’s simply not true.” The WNBA also stated: “While we have presented comprehensive proposals seeking an agreement that benefits everyone, the Players Association has yet to offer a viable economic proposal and has repeatedly refused to meaningfully engage on many of the terms of our proposal. We are ready to continue negotiating in good faith and hope they will do the same so that we can finalize a new mutually beneficial collective bargaining agreement as quickly as possible.” The current collective bargaining agreement, signed in January 2020, expires on October 31st. However, not meeting that deadline does not mean an automatic lockout. The league and the union could agree to an extension to have more time to reach an agreement. This has happened in previous WNBA collective bargaining agreement negotiations.