AFL-CIO Sports Council
National Womens Soccer League Players Association Executive Director Meghan Burke at the 2022 AFL-CIO Convention
Overview
The AFL-CIO Sports Council was formed in 2022 to build power across unions in professional sports, amplify the voices of athletes and shine a light on the challenges they face as workers.
It’s all about fighting for every worker—from the major league star to the player struggling to start his career to the construction worker building the stadium to the server providing concessions—to have a voice on the job. The council aligns the interests of athletes with those of service, hospitality and other workers who support the professional sports industries.
Founding members of the Sports Council include the NFL Players Association, the NWSL Players Association and USL Players Association-CWA . “We love the sport that we play, but the issues that our members face are universal ones,” said NWSLPA Executive Director Meghann Burke. “As we come together to form the new AFL-CIO Sports Council, our capacity to win justice on the field for players, and to act in solidarity with workers off the field, will only increase.”