USWNT players Becky Sauerbrunn, Christen Press and Meghan Klingenberg have been “elected by their teammates to leadership roles” as part of a reshaped union, while management consultant Becca Roux, who had been “working with the team since late last year, will come aboard” as the Players Association's interim Exec Dir, according to Andrew Das of the N.Y. TIMES. The moves come five weeks after the USWNT “halted contract talks” with U.S. Soccer and fired the union’s leader. The team has also “brought in new lawyers to handle negotiations” with U.S. Soccer. Former union Exec Dir Rich Nichols, who also served as general counsel, was a "fierce, vocal advocate for the women’s interests in their fight for equal pay, but his pugnacious negotiating style had done little to inspire hope that the sides were moving closer to an agreement.” Sauerbrunn said, “We felt really strongly that we wanted to reset the tone of the negotiations." Das noted the new union structure has “brought many more players into the process.” In the past, the "main conduit of information between the union’s lawyer and the team had been the union’s CBA committee.” U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati was "clearly encouraged by the new tone" as negotiations began again on Saturday. But details of a new deal will “still be difficult to negotiate" (N.Y. TIMES, 2/4).
POSITIVE MOVEMENT: ESPNW’s Julie Foudy wrote the news that the USWNT is reorganizing its union and hiring a new legal team "brings an audible ahhh." It "just feels right." After the drama last year, the reorganization is a "much-needed step in the right direction." The moves are “player-driven and full of potential.” The team is “rolling up its sleeves and, by all indications, taking back control and ownership of the image they want to represent.” Roux said that the focus “will be on revenue growth and ‘commercial opportunities’ to elevate” the team and the union. She added that another goal “will be giving back to players,” such as “internships and off-field professional development” (ESPNW.com, 2/3).
