The WNBA and the league’s players’ union have held regular meetings since the sides agreed in late October to a 30-day extension of the current collective bargaining agreement. Sunday night marks the expiration, and significant gaps remain, particularly regarding the league’s salary system, sources familiar with the discussions said. Athletics.
Over the past month, the two sides have exchanged updated proposals and continued their meetings, including the latest negotiating session on Saturday, sources said. The WNBPA has repeatedly proposed a system in which player salaries are tied to a percentage of revenue generated by the league.
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The league sent a proposal at the end of October that would allow players under maximum level contracts earn over $1.1 million in total compensation per seasonthis sum being made up of a combination of a base salary – estimated between $800,000 and $850,000 per source – and a revenue sharing component. Details of the revenue sharing element were not made public and players remained frustrated with the league’s proposal, which was reported in mid-November, because it did not reflect their desires for a revamped system and instead had a fixed base salary component at its center.
A resolution on continuing negotiations is expected before Sunday’s deadline, after a further meeting between the parties. If the parties decide not to obtain a further extension, the work stoppage would still not take effect immediately. Teams would instead enter a status quo period, which would keep working conditions the same and continue to allow players to use team facilities and receive medical benefits. However, at any time, the players’ union or league could announce a work stoppage. The parties may also continue negotiations during the standstill period.
The parties could still agree on a further extension by Sunday’s deadline. Before the 2020 CBA was concluded, the league and players’ union agreed to two extensions, one for 60 days and another for two weeks, which lasted until mid-January, when a new agreement was reached.
On October 30, the parties agreed to an initial 30-day extension, with the union requesting a condition allowing it to end the extension with 48 hours’ notice. Both parties agreed to allow the other to benefit from this termination clause, and they then continued to meet, without either party adopting it.
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Ahead of the Oct. 31 deadline, the league met virtually with team personnel to discuss the logistics of a potential work stoppage. Athletics previously reported. The appeal was for the purpose of due diligence and was not made in anticipation of a lockout or strike. It is unclear whether such a call occurred again in the days leading up to Sunday’s deadline; however, the league provided an update on the status of negotiations to its Board of Governors during league meetings in New York on November 17-18.
Other issues are also being negotiated besides the salary framework, including formalizing the league-wide charter flight program and improving family planning benefits and health insurance. Sources said they discussed formalizing benefits for retired and retired players. The status of the primary designation is also expected to be discussed in more detail as negotiations continue, sources said.
Prioritization, a rule that has been pushed to be included in the 2020 CBA, requires most players competing internationally to return for the start of WNBA training camp or face suspension. The rule remains important to league management. The league has not submitted proposals explicitly stating that WNBA players must compete exclusively in the WNBA and no other leagues in the off-season, sources said, and revisions to the league’s draft eligibility rules have not yet been a significant topic of discussion.
If a deal is not finalized by Monday, the offseason schedule for this winter will surely look different than last year.
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A delay could impact the schedule of the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire’s upcoming expansion draft. The Golden State Valkyries conducted their expansion draft on December 6, 2024. The draft rules are not finalized as the CBA will dictate them. WNBA free agency typically begins in mid-January, although that could also change depending on how negotiations progress.
This article was originally published in Athletics.
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