NWSL players whose salaries are not paid by a national federation have "formed the NWSL Players Association, a first step toward creating a union," according to Anne Peterson of the AP. National team players from Canada and the U.S. are "allocated across the NWSL, and their salaries are paid by their federations." The newly formed association "represents those players who don't have those national team ties." The non-allocated players "overwhelmingly approved a new constitution and bylaws this month," as the creation of an association comes after the USWNT came to terms on a new CBA with the U.S. Soccer Federation (AP, 5/15). VICE SPORTS' Howard Megdal noted nearly 90% of NWSL players have been "without union representation since the league began" in '13. The USWNT Players Association "represents only the 22 players allocated by U.S. Soccer to nine of the NWSL's ten teams." Former Women's Professional Soccer player Meghann Burke is the "official NWSLPA spokesperson" (SPORTS.VICE.com, 5/15). SOCCER AMERICA's Paul Kennedy noted the next step is for the NWSL "to recognize" the players association. If the league does not recognize it, the group "will have to petition the National Labor Relations Board for recognition and the right to bargain over pay and working conditions" (SOCCERAMERICA.com, 5/15).
