The WNBA players’ union took another step forward in its collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations Thursday, with the Jan. 9 deadline just three weeks away. In a historic vote – with a 93% turnout – the WNBPA voted 98% in favor of authorizing a strike. Now, this doesn’t mean they’re going to immediately go on strike; instead, it was simply a vote to approve the union’s leadership and call a strike if it came to that. Still, this is a notable escalation that suggests another extension is unlikely.
The WNBA and WNBPA are still under contract at this time, having agreed to a second CBA extension There can be no work stoppage while they are still under contract, but under the extension rules, either party can cancel the current extension with 48 hours’ notice. For now, the parties will continue to negotiate until January 9, when they can either reach a new agreement, agree to a new extension, or let the current contract expire.
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If no new agreement or extension is negotiated by January 9, the contract then goes into “status quo” mode, where the parties can continue to negotiate, BUT can also trigger a work stoppage (player strike, league lockout). The news of Thursday’s vote simply means that if it gets to that point, WNBPA management will have the support of the players to launch a strike.
A work stoppage would mean the expansion draft, free agency and the upcoming WNBA season would be on hold. Players would no longer participate in any team activities and would no longer be able to use their team’s practice facilities. It would be a drastic decision, but the players have made it clear that they are not afraid to go for it and are standing their ground as a united front. This would be the first time the WNBA has experienced a work stoppage as a league.
Kelsey Plum, WNBPA Vice President told media at Team USA’s camp last week that it was “a little discouraging, just the frustration in the negotiation and how far along we are.”
After the vote to authorize a strike, should it occur, the WNBPA released the following statement:
In response, the WNBA released its own statement, highlighting the league’s “disagreement” with the state of negotiations:
“We are aware that the players voted to authorize the WNBPA Executive Committee to initiate a strike if the Executive Committee decides to take that action in the future. While we recognize the players’ right to authorize a future work stoppage, we strongly disagree with the WNBPA’s characterization of the current state of negotiations, which fundamentally misrepresents the ongoing discussions at the bargaining table. It is difficult to understand claims that the league is resistant to change, especially since we propose numerous changes to the CBA, including significant immediate wage increases and a new uncapped revenue sharing model that would ensure continued wage growth tied to revenue growth.
“The league remains steadfast in its commitment to reaching an agreement as quickly as possible and delivering a 30th season for players, fans, teams and partners. We have negotiated in good faith and with urgency, and remain focused on finalizing a new collective bargaining agreement that not only significantly improves player compensation, benefits and experience, but also does so in a way that ensures the long-term growth of the game and the league’s ability to serve the next generation of WNBA players.”
Obviously, if there is a dispute only about how the negotiations are going, there is probably even more disagreement when it comes to the negotiation points themselves.
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What should be done to avoid a strike situation? Well, the players have several negotiating points that they have stated they are not going to give up on. Most important is the salary and compensation structure, including a robust revenue sharing program, which sees players receiving a 30 percent share of WNBA revenue. according to the latest report of Athletics. Current proposals would also have maximum salaries exceeding the $1 million mark.
There are also other points of negotiation, such as the length of the regular season, the expansion of the squad to have more players on each team, and a development program allowing teams to develop talent internally. There are also reports of players wanting to solidify league-wide standards for practice facilities, as well as things like team personnel training requirements, and more. While salary is the main topic of discussion, and probably the one that players are least likely to negotiate down, there are several other important topics to discuss here. Whenever this deal happens, its effects will be monumental on not only how WNBA players are paid, but also how they are treated on and off the court.
The last thing that should happen now is for the WNBA’s momentum to be slowed, and that’s exactly what a prolonged work stoppage is eating away at the WNBA season. The growth the WNBA has experienced in ticket sales, merchandise sales, viewership and overall hype over the past five years has changed the culture. This all happened because of the product that players play a key role in creating. None of this growth happens without the players, and they know it. This is why they hold incredible influence in these negotiations and why they are confident in their decisions to stand firm on certain proposals.
None of these negotiating points are incredibly egregious either, leading fans to get stuck in a cycle of confusion as to why the WNBA is so reluctant to give players what they want. Think about revenue sharing, for example: the current 30% proposal is still 20% less than what NBA players get as part of their CBA. Maximum salaries reaching around $1.1 million don’t even bring them to the NBA veteran’s minimum of $1.16 million. The WNBA is not outgrowing the current scope of growth it is experiencing, and it deserves what it wants.
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These are the same players who brought the WNBA into an era that transcended what women’s sports were previously capable of and truly changed the culture of women’s basketball. They put their bodies on the line in order to deliver a truly fan-pleasing product, often playing year-round as well, so they could earn enough income to continue their careers. They did all this without adequate training facilities, training staff and flying commercial flights for the first 25 years of the league’s existence. All of the growth the WNBA has seen happened before most of these new benefits were established, when players were barely treated like professionals. Players are not unreasonable and they are not stupid; they’ve seen expansion fees and team sales prices skyrocket, and now they want a piece of the pie they made.
If the WNBA is truly eager to launch a 30th season, fully on board with the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo, and avoid a strike, it must accept that there are some things the players won’t budge on. Gone are the days when the league held the influence and players were “just happy to be there.”
For many players, the WNBA isn’t even their biggest source of income, so sitting out for a season potentially doesn’t hurt their bottom line much. Players have proven that they can survive in the sports world by creating their own leagues like Unrivaled and signing up to become part-owners of Project B. These other leagues, along with things like sponsorship deals, broadcast jobs, and other jobs they do in the offseason, bring in enough money for players to get by even if a lockout occurs, and take the time to fight for what they’ve earned.
In reality, it’s the league that has to work hard to keep top talent on its side. And if they haven’t realized it yet, maybe today will help them get the message.
