WNBA CBA Negotiations: Players and League Seek Agreement
INDIANAPOLIS – More than 40 WNBA players gathered on Thursday for a crucial meeting between the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) and the league. The main goal of the meeting was to discuss ongoing negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA). This meeting represented the largest in-person participation of players in the history of CBA negotiations. The meeting on Thursday, the first in-person meeting between both parties since December, lasted for a couple of hours, but no agreement was reached.“The WNBA’s response to our proposals does not address the priorities we have expressed since the day we chose not to participate: a transformative CBA that gives us the fair share of the business we have built, improves working conditions, and ensures that the success we create benefits both today’s players and future generations,” stated the WNBPA.
WNBPA
Earlier this week, union president Nneka Ogwumike had expressed optimism about the possibility that the meeting would be beneficial and reduce tension between the parties, given that it would be a face-to-face encounter. However, the union left dissatisfied with the league’s proposal.
“We have told the league and the teams exactly why their proposal falls so short,” the statement said. “The business is booming: media rights, audiences, revenues, team valuations, expansion fees, attendance, and ticket sales are at historic levels. But cutting back on the working women who make this business possible hinders growth.” “The only thing more unsustainable than the current system is to pretend that it can continue forever.” The WNBA’s new media rights deal, valued at $2.2 billion, will begin next season. The league has plans to expand to 18 teams by 2030, with each of the three new teams paying an expansion fee of $250 million. Ogwumike had mentioned that the way expansion fees reflect the revenue shares going to the players was a specific topic they wanted to discuss on Thursday. The union chose not to participate in the current CBA last fall, and if a new one isn’t established before the end of October, some players have mentioned the possibility of a lockout. The players presented a proposal in February to which the league responded last month. Given the slow pace of conversations between the union and the league, Thursday’s meeting was expected to be a crucial moment in the negotiation process.“It’s not complicated,” the statement declared. “We are committed to the fight. We are committed to returning to the negotiating table. And we will not stop until we achieve the transformative CBA that this moment demands.”
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