NWSL, NWSLPA Agree to 1st CBA in League History; Minimum Salaries, More Addressed

The National Women's Soccer League announced Monday that it had agreed to the first collective bargaining agreement in league history with the players' association.

The CBA will be in place through the 2026 season and sets the stage for players to report to the first day of preseason on Tuesday.

"The NWSLPA is grateful to our brothers and sisters in the labor movement who paved the way for us to get here and to our fans and partners for their unwavering support," the NWSLPA said in a statement. "... To the players who came before us: We stand on your shoulders. We hope we made you proud."

NWSLPA President Tori Huster also commented on the CBA:

The league's announcement highlighted an "increased total investment in players" that includes raising salaries for all players and increasing the minimum salary by nearly 60 percent to $35,000. There will also be housing, transportation, insurance, retirement contributions, higher bonuses, more compensation for promotional purposes and revenue sharing.

Additionally, the CBA provides 42 days of vacation, a seven-day summer break during the season, parental leave and mental health leave to go along with "improved health and wellness benefits" such as team physicians, sports psychologists and sports scientists.

Perhaps most notably, it sets in place a free agency system after Meg Linehan of The Athletic reported earlier this month it was "one of the major issues that must be addressed" even after there was "tentative agreements between the players and the league in place on a number of fronts thanks to more than 35 bargaining sessions."

Full free agency will start in 2023 for those with six years of service, while those with three years of service can become restricted free agents starting in 2024. Those with five years of service can become full free agents in 2024.

NWSL interim CEO Marla Messing released a statement:

"This is a historic moment for women's soccer in the United States. This transformative agreement represents deserved advancements for our players, including significantly stronger compensation packages and benefits, enhanced training and playing environments, and a long-term commitment to continually improve the standards we all regard as essential to securing our position as the best women's soccer league in the world. Our owners are committed to providing the significant and unprecedented investment required to build and sustain a professional women's soccer league that properly supports our players, both as professional soccer players and as individuals. We thank the NWSLPA leadership and the players for their thoughtful approach on the CBA and look forward to continuing to collaborate with them to create the best environment for our players to succeed."

Linehan noted the league and players started negotiations in 2020, although NWSLPA executive director Meghann Burke said ownership first started attending sessions in October 2021.