The USWNT Players Association today filed a motion in federal court opposing the U.S. Soccer Federation's motion for an expedited court hearing on its lawsuit filed last week. The PA also stated the team has been working without a valid CBA for three years. The union in papers filed by outside attorney Jeffrey Kessler said USSF “has known since at least July 2015” that the USWNT’s position is that no CBA is in place. The filing states the facts asserted in the lawsuit USSF brought against the union last Wednesday are "nowhere near accurate and are hotly disputed."
The USSF last week filed suit in Chicago federal court seeking a court order that a valid CBA was in place with a no-strike clause and an expiration date of Dec. 31, 2016. The USSF said in court papers it was seeking a declaration to enforce the CBA and prevent the players from striking before the Rio Games. But in court papers filed today, the union states there is no valid CBA, but rather a memorandum of understanding, which does not contain either a no-strike clause or an expiration date.
WNTPA Exec Dir Rich Nichols told THE DAILY the union was not threatening a strike and, in court papers, the union asked for a schedule which would allow the court to make a summary judgment on the issues in late spring, months before the Olympics in August.
