by Sydney Wiser ‘23

After the firing of five coaches due to abuse allegations during the 2021 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) season, fans and players hoped for positive changes heading into 2022. The players made it clear how that could happen: the formation of the first-ever collective bargaining agreement (CBA) for a women’s soccer league between the players and the NWSL ownership. The players threatened to strike and not report to their February 1 preseason if their demands were not met. However, on January 31, the NWSL and the players finalized a CBA.

A CBA is an agreement between workers and employers over issues like better wages and working conditions. The NWSL player’s association (NWSLPA), which acts as the player’s union, began in-person negotiations with NWSL leadership in March 2021. Their main focus was livable wages for players. They launched the “No More Side Hustles” campaign in July to publicize the financial issues faced by many players within the league. Numerous players have reported working additional jobs including delivering food, personal training, and coaching youth soccer to supplement their income. The CBA seeks to rectify this problem by increasing the current $22,000 minimum player salary to $35,000. Given the competitive nature of the NWSL, players do face the risk of getting released. The CBA provides players who’ve been released with four weeks of pay and 30 days of housing and health insurance support.

The establishment of free agency was another massive victory for the NWSLPA. The players have voiced their discontent with the lack of autonomy in the past and free agency gives them greater freedom to choose where they play. Players with six years of experience in the NWSL will qualify for free agency in 2023. In 2024, five years of experience is needed and in 2026, the number drops to three years.

Other benefits include six months of paid mental health leave, which was applauded by many within the league especially in the wake of the coaching abuse allegations. A sports psychologist was also included on the list of services teams must provide their players with. For mothers within the league, eight weeks of parental leave including adoption was introduced as well.

The NWSL isn’t the first women’s professional league to advocate for a CBA that reflects player interests. The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) won a new CBA in January 2020 after expressing dissatisfaction with low wages and lack of support for mothers. Both leagues celebrated the success of their CBAs but acknowledge that there’s still work to be done. For NWSL players and fans, the CBA signifies a new start after the tumultuous end to last season.