The NBPA's "bid for a union vote by the WNBA players
was delayed Wednesday" when league officials told the NLRB
"they were not ready to proceed," according to an AP report
in the DETROIT NEWS. The NLRB began proceedings on the
NBPA's petition to represent the WNBA players, but it
"adjourned until" August 27 after the "league requested a
delay in the vote until May." The league stated it
preferred a manual vote over a "mail ballot," and with new
players entering the league next season, suggested a
preseason election next spring. NBPA Exec Dir Billy Hunter
said he was "disappointed that the league has asked to delay
these proceedings and the vote" (AP/DETROIT NEWS, 8/20).
SUMMERTIME, AND THE LIVING IS EASY: WNBA President Val
Ackerman said she expects a WNBA union to be in place by
next summer. She also "indicated that the league planned to
hold its first All-Star game next season in mid-July at a
yet-to-be-determined WNBA city" (SACRAMENTO BEE, 8/19).
SHE WORKS HARD FOR THE...? In Chicago, Ron Rapoport
notes the ABL's 10% salary cut for all non-contract
employees: "Just our luck. Chicago finally gets a women's
professional basketball team and before it even begins play,
the league starts sending out financial distress signals."
Condors GM Allison Hodges: "We're not the WNBA, we're the
ABL. Whatever cuts have to be made to support an aggressive
marketing effort -- which you and I know we need -- we're in
favor of. We all have to make some sacrifices." Rapoport
writes the WNBA has "money trouble of a different sort," as
union lawyers told the players they're "only getting"
between 8-12% of the league's BRI, "as opposed" to the 47%
in the NBA. In '97, the WNBA took in $22M at the gate and
the players got "just" $2.5M (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 8/20).
